Bonnie Tyler, whose raspy voice gave the 1980s one of its defining power ballads, has died at 75. Her family said she died in Portugal, where she lived, Rolling Stone UK reported.
The song that defined her
Ms. Tyler recorded through six decades, but she was known above all for "Total Eclipse of the Heart," the 1983 epic written and produced by Jim Steinman. The song went to No. 1 in both the United Kingdom and the United States and sold in the millions, becoming a karaoke and radio staple that long outlived its era. Its combination of Steinman's operatic songwriting and Ms. Tyler's weathered, urgent delivery made it unmistakable.
It was not her only signature. She also recorded "Holding Out for a Hero," another Steinman collaboration that found new life in films and on soundtracks, and, earlier, "It's a Heartache," a late-1970s hit that first brought her to American audiences.
A voice like no other
What set Ms. Tyler apart was the instrument itself. Her husky, cracked contralto, the result of throat surgery early in her career, gave her singing a raw, lived-in quality that few pop voices matched. It could sound on the verge of breaking and completely in command at once, which is much of why her biggest songs still land.
From Wales to the world
Born Gaynor Hopkins in Wales, Ms. Tyler rose from modest beginnings to become one of Britain's most successful musical exports, with a career that stretched from the late 1960s into recent years. She represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013 and continued performing her best-known songs to audiences that knew every word.
Remembered
Ms. Tyler's death was confirmed by her family in a statement to the news media, Rolling Stone UK reported. She is survived by her husband of more than 50 years. Her recordings, and one song in particular, ensure that a voice built for big emotions will keep turning up wherever people reach for a ballad to belt: once upon a time, and forever after, there was Bonnie Tyler.
