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Bonnie TylerWelsh singer
Date of Birth: 08.06.1951
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Biography of Bonnie Tyler
- Early Career
- Rise to Fame
- International Success
- Collaboration with Jim Steinman
- Continued Success
- Later Career
Biography of Bonnie Tyler
Early Life and Musical InfluencesBonnie Tyler, born Gaynor Hopkins, was born on June 8, 1951, in Skewen, Neath, Wales. She grew up in a family with three sisters and two brothers. Her father worked in a coal mine, while her mother, an opera lover, instilled a love for music in her children. Tyler grew up listening to Motown groups and singers like Janis Joplin and Tina Turner.
Early Career
At the age of 19, Tyler participated in a talent competition where she performed Mary Hopkin's hit "Those Were the Days" and earned second place. She then joined the band "Bobby Wayne & The Dixies" as a singer and later formed her own band called "Imagination." In this period, she used the stage name Sherene Davies.
Rise to Fame
In 1973, Tyler married real estate agent and Olympic judoka Robert Sullivan. Two years later, she caught the attention of Roger Bell, who helped her sign a contract with RCA Records. Before signing the deal, she decided to change her stage name to Bonnie Tyler. In 1976, her song "Lost in France" became a top-ten hit, and the following year, she released her first album titled "The World Starts Tonight," featuring the singles "More Than a Lover" and "Heaven."
International Success
In 1977, Tyler faced a vocal cord problem that required surgery. Despite the setback, her next single "It's a Heartache" became an international hit, reaching high chart positions in the UK, USA, and Germany. Her second album, "Natural Force" (released as "It's a Heartache" in the US), achieved gold status. Although she didn't replicate the same level of worldwide success, Tyler continued to release regional hits throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Collaboration with Jim Steinman
In the early 1980s, Tyler signed with Columbia Records and worked with composer Jim Steinman, known for his collaborations with Meat Loaf. Her album "Faster Than the Speed of Night" (1983) included the ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart," which became a worldwide phenomenon, topping charts in the UK, France, and Australia and reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. Tyler received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the song.
Continued Success
In the following years, Tyler achieved further success with singles like "Here She Comes," featured in the restored film "Metropolis," and "Holding Out for a Hero," the soundtrack for the film "Footloose." She also had hit duets with Shakin' Stevens and continued to release albums, including "Bitterblue" (1991) and "Free Spirit" (1995). In the 2000s, Tyler released albums like "Heart Strings" (2003) and "Simply Believe" (2004).
Later Career
After releasing albums like "From the Heart," "Wings," and "LIVE," Tyler made a memorable appearance in a parody advertisement for MasterCard in 2010. In recent years, she has continued to perform live and release new music.
Bonnie Tyler remains a beloved figure in the music industry, known for her powerful voice and her iconic hits from the 1970s and 1980s.
