Bonnie Tyler

Gaynor Sullivan (née Hopkins; born 8 June 1951 ), known professionally as Bonnie Tyler, is a Welsh singer who is known for her distinctive husky voice.

Tyler was born Gaynor Hopkins on 8 June 1951 in Skewen, Wales.

Her father, Glyndŵr Hopkins, was a coal miner and serviceman in the Second World War, and her mother, Elsie Hopkins (née Lewis), was a former homemaker.

She grew up in a four-bedroom council house with three sisters and two brothers.

Her siblings had varied music tastes, exposing her to artists such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and the Beatles.

Hopkins attended Rhydhir Comprehensive School in Neath, Wales.

She left school, age 16, with no qualifications and began working in a grocery shop.

Hopkins and her family were deeply religious Protestants.

Her first public performance took place in a chapel as a child, singing the Anglican hymn "All Things Bright and Beautiful".

In April 1969, Hopkins was entered into a local talent competition by her aunt, and she came second to an accordionist.

Inspired to pursue a career in singing, Hopkins found work as a backing singer for Bobby Wayne & the Dixies before forming her own band, Imagination.

It was around this time that she changed her name to Sherene Davis, to avoid being confused with Welsh folk singer Mary Hopkin.

In 1975, Davis was spotted singing with her band in the Townsman Club, Swansea, by talent scout Roger Bell, who invited her to London to record a demo track.

After many months had passed, she received a phone call from RCA Records, offering her a recording contract.

They also recommended that she change her name again.

After compiling a list of surnames and first names from a newspaper, Davis found a new name in "Bonnie Tyler".

Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe became her managers, songwriters and producers.

"My! My! Honeycomb" was released as her debut single in April 1976, and failed to impact any charts worldwide.

In September 1976, as part of a promotional campaign for Tyler's subsequent single release, "Lost in France", RCA Records allocated £4,000 for a strategic promotional initiative, which involved sending a group of 30 music journalists and radio DJs to Le Touquet, France, where they met Tyler over a four-course meal.

"Lost in France" peaked at no. 9 in the UK and led to Tyler's first appearance on Top of the Pops.

Tyler came to prominence with the release of her 1977 album The World Starts Tonight and its singles "Lost in France" and "More Than a Lover".

Her 1977 single "It's a Heartache" reached number four on the UK Singles Chart, and number three on the US Billboard Hot 100.

"More Than a Lover" followed in January 1977.

Due to perceived sexual nature of the song's lyrics, it was banned from a new British children's TV series, Get It Together.

Though surprised by the decision, Tyler stated she was grateful for the "extra publicity".

It peaked at no. 27 in the UK.

Tyler's debut album, The World Starts Tonight, was released in February 1977.

To promote the album, Tyler embarked on her first UK tour as a guest artist with Gene Pitney.

The album failed to chart in the UK, but reached no. 2 in Sweden.

In the spring of 1977, Tyler underwent an operation to remove vocal cord nodules and was advised by her doctor to rest her voice for six weeks.

In the 1980s, Tyler ventured into rock music with songwriter and producer Jim Steinman.

Steinman also wrote Tyler's other major 1980s hit "Holding Out for a Hero".

He wrote Tyler's biggest hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart", the lead single from her 1983 UK chart-topping album Faster Than the Speed of Night.

She had success in mainland Europe during the 1990s with Dieter Bohlen, who wrote and produced her hit "Bitterblue".

In 2003, Tyler re-recorded "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with singer Kareen Antonn.

Their bilingual duet, titled "Si demain... (Turn Around)", topped the French charts.

Rocks and Honey was released in 2013 and features the single "Believe in Me", which she performed representing the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö, Sweden.

After reuniting with the producer David Mackay, she released Between the Earth and the Stars (2019) and The Best Is Yet to Come (2021).

Her work has earned her three Grammy Award nominations and three Brit Award nominations (including twice for British Female Solo Artist), among other accolades.

In 2022 she was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to music.