Bonnie Tyler, the husky-voiced singer behind the ’80s hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” was rushed to the hospital in Portugal for emergency surgery.
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On May 6, a statement on the 74-year-old Welsh singer’s official website revealed that she had been hospitalized.
“We are very sorry to announce that Bonnie has been admitted to hospital in Faro, Portugal, where she has a home, for emergency intestinal surgery,” the statement read. “The surgery went well, and she is now recuperating.”
“We know that all of her family, friends, and fans will be concerned about this news and will be wishing her well for a full and swift recovery,” it concluded.
Tyler, born Gaynor Hopkins, first gained fame in the ’70s with hits like “Lost in France” and “It’s a Heartache,” followed by her successful 1983 album, Faster Than the Speed of Night.
Tyler was the first British female artist to have an album debut at No. 1 on the U.K. Albums Chart, and she remains the only Welsh artist with a No. 1 single on the U.K. Singles Chart. She has also earned acclaim for beloved, multi-generational hits like “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out for a Hero.”
Bonnie Tyler Recently Insisted ‘Touring Keeps Me Going’
Meanwhile, Tyler remained popular in Europe throughout the 1990s. In 2013, she also represented the U.K. in the Eurovision Song Contest with her song “Believe In Me.” She continued performing into the 2020s and is currently on her Jubilee Tour, which celebrates 50 years in the music industry.
“Touring keeps me going. I consider myself a working-class girl, and I’ve never stopped working,” Tyler told The Times last year. “Moving my parents from the council house where I was brought up to a cottage in Mumbles is the thing I’m most proud of, but it does feel like an achievement to still be wanted by audiences at my age. I’m pretty energetic.”
Tyler has released 18 studio albums throughout her career, with her most recent being 2021’s The Best Is Yet to Come.