Such an underrated gem.
Sadly, today, singer Bonnie Tyler passed away at the age of 75. She was of course known for her mega hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” which was lead single from her 1983 fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night. It was written and produced by Jim Steinman.
She was an 80’s superstar, and her family shared the news of her death with a message on her official website, from her family and team saying they were:
“Heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for.”
They also asked for privacy at this time, saying they would eventually give a more in-depth explanation and statement.
In May, Tyler was placed in a medically-induced coma after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in Portugal, and her spokesperson said just last month that she was out of the coma, but remained “very unwell” in intensive care, according to People.
Tyler was born in Wales in 1951 as Gaynor Hopkins, and she later picked her stage name because her record label wanted her to have one, and she had previously gone by Sherene Davis.
Tyler’s first commercially successful single was released in 1977 called “It’s a Heartache,” from her second album Natural Force, which peaked at N#3 in the United States and also became a minor country hit, peaking at #10 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
She previously told PEOPLE that she didn’t like it, saying it was cheesy and put her in a more country space, rather than the rock genre she wanted to be in:
“I was a bit cheesed off. I didn’t even like it as I was recording it.”
Later on, Tyler would release an album called Rocks and Honey, which was released in March of 2013 and marked a return to music after her eight-year studio hiatus. It blends contemporary country-rock with pop elements, reminiscent of her late-1970s material and the aforementioned “It’s a Heartache.”
She was joined by country star Vince Gill for a duet on that tracklist called “What You Need from Me,” which beautifully blends her raspy vocals with his more soft and pure voice. I had never heard it before today, but I was blown away at how good it is and while Tyler didn’t work with many country artists, Gill might’ve been the only one, honestly, she definitely chose the right person for it.
While it’s very sad news that Tyler is no longer with us, she leaves behind an incredible catalog of music, and for country music fans, a rare duet with one of the genres best vocalists. If you’ve never heard it before, you are missing out… check it out:
“What You Need from Me”
