BONNIE TYLER, TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART SINGER, DIES AT 75

Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer known for hits including Total Eclipse of the Heart, Holding Out for a Hero and It's a Heartache, has died at the age of 75. A statement released on her official website confirmed that Tyler died unexpectedly in hospital in Portugal as a result of an illness for which she was receiving treatment. The announcement asked for privacy for her family and team during the period following her death. No further details regarding the specific circumstances were disclosed at the time of the statement.

Tyler was born Gaynor Hopkins in Neath, south Wales, and grew up in a council house. She was discovered by talent scout Roger Bell performing in a club in Swansea and released her debut single Lost in France in 1977. Her 1977 country-pop ballad It's a Heartache reached number four on the UK singles chart and number three on the US Billboard Hot 100. In May of this year, Tyler underwent emergency intestinal surgery in Portugal and was placed into an induced coma; a spokesperson stated last month that she had emerged from the coma but remained in intensive care in very unwell condition.

Her signature track Total Eclipse of the Heart arrived in 1983, six years after her chart breakthrough, and topped the charts in both the United Kingdom and the United States. The dramatic song, written by Jim Steinman who penned lyrics for Meat Loaf, was originally titled Vampires in Love as it had been composed for a musical adaptation of Nosferatu. Tyler became the first Welsh person to achieve a number one hit on the US charts. In a recent interview with BBC News, Tyler stated: "I never get tired of singing it."