Bonnie Tyler, born Gaynor Sullivan on 8 June 1951 in Skewen, Wales, was a singer whose unmistakable, husky voice made her one of the most distinctive and enduring voices in popular music. Rising to international fame in the late 1970s, she captivated audiences with a blend of pop and rock that showcased her powerful, raspy delivery. Her debut studio album, The World Starts Tonight, released in 1977, introduced her to the world and featured the hit singles "Lost in France" and "More Than a Lover," establishing her as a formidable new talent. The following year, Tyler achieved global superstardom with the release of "It's a Heartache," a song that reached number four on the UK singles chart and number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, cementing her status as a chart-topping force on both sides of the Atlantic.

The 1980s marked a pivotal and creatively rich period in Tyler's career when she began a celebrated collaboration with the legendary songwriter and producer Jim Steinman. This partnership yielded her signature anthem, "Total Eclipse of the Heart," a dramatic and soaring power ballad that sold over 13 million copies worldwide and served as the lead single from her UK chart-topping album, Faster Than the Speed of Night, in 1983. Steinman also penned her other major hit of the decade, "Holding Out for a Hero," a track that became an enduring pop culture staple. Tyler continued her success with the single "Here She Comes," which was featured on the 1984 soundtrack for the restored version of Metropolis, and "If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)," written by Desmond Child. While her international dominance waned slightly in the late 1980s, she found a new and loyal audience in mainland Europe during the 1990s, collaborating with Dieter Bohlen, who wrote and produced her hit "Bitterblue." In 2003, she returned to the top of the charts in France with a bilingual duet of her classic hit, "Si demain... (Turn Around)," recorded with Kareen Antonn.

Tyler remained a prolific and beloved artist well into the 21st century. In 2013, she released the album Rocks and Honey and represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden, performing the album's single "Believe in Me." After reuniting with producer David Mackay, she released two critically well-received albums, Between the Earth and the Stars in 2019 and The Best Is Yet to Come in 2021, proving her creative vitality and continued relevance. Throughout her remarkable career, Tyler earned three Grammy Award nominations and three Brit Award nominations, including two for British Female Solo Artist. In 2022, she was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for her services to music, a fitting recognition of her immense contribution to the industry. With her singles "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "It's a Heartache" each selling over 6 million units, Bonnie Tyler leaves behind a legacy as one of the best-selling and most iconic voices in the history of popular music.