Bonnie Tyler
Gaynor Sullivan, known professionally as Bonnie Tyler, is a Welsh singer. Known for her distinctive husky voice, 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.
In the 1980s, Tyler ventured into rock music with songwriter and producer Jim Steinman. 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. Steinman also wrote Tyler's other major 1980s hit "Holding Out for a Hero". 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... ", 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 and The Best Is Yet to Come.
Her work has earned her three Grammy Award nominations and three Brit Award nominations, among other accolades. In 2022, she was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to music.
Early life
Tyler was born Gaynor Hopkins on 8 June 1951 in Skewen, Neath, Wales. Her father, Glyndŵr Hopkins, was a coal miner and serviceman in the Second World War, and her mother, Elsie Hopkins, 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.
Career
1975–1978: ''The World Starts Tonight'' and ''Natural Force''
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. "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. Tyler screamed in frustration one day, resulting in a permanent raspy tone.
In July 1977, Tyler released her fourth single, "Heaven". It peaked at no. 24 in Germany. Tyler ascribed the underwhelming performance of the single in other regions to the passing of Elvis Presley in August 1977. This event resulted in RCA redirecting its focus towards reissuing Presley's extensive back catalogue. "It's a Heartache" followed in November 1977 and became one of Tyler's most-successful singles, peaking at no. 4 in the UK and no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Here Am I" was released in April 1978, and it peaked at no. 4 in Norway. David Mackay parted ways with Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe in 1978, and Gordon Mills briefly took over as Tyler's manager. Mills organised Tyler's first tour of the United States in July 1978, including several nights at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, supporting Tom Jones.
Tyler's second studio album, Natural Force, was released in May 1978. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, with sales of over half a million copies.
1979–1981: ''Diamond Cut'' and ''Goodbye to the Island''
Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe produced Tyler's third album, Diamond Cut, with Robin Geoffrey Cable. Released in February 1979, it was a Top 20 record in Finland, Norway and Sweden, but only reached 145 in the US. Tyler felt that RCA was pushing her to record more country-oriented music, which frustrated her. The album yielded one major hit, "My Guns Are Loaded", which peaked at no. 10 on the Canadian AC chart.In the summer of 1979, Tyler had another UK Top 40 hit with " Married Men". She recorded it for a film adaptation of Jackie Collins' novel of the same name. Tyler performs the song during the film's closing titles.
In November 1979, Tyler represented the United Kingdom at the Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Japan. She won the Grand Prix International award for her performance of "Sitting on the Edge of the Ocean", written by Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe. They co-produced Tyler's fourth album, Goodbye to the Island, with Hugh Murphy. Released in 1981, it only charted in Norway. RCA invited Tyler to extend her contract for another five years, but she declined, expressing disillusionment with her artistic image and noting a scarcity of performance opportunities in the aftermath of several unsuccessful singles.
1982–1989: The CBS Years
After her contract with RCA expired, Tyler signed with CBS/Columbia. A&R man Muff Winwood asked Tyler to scout a new producer. She considered Phil Collins, Jeff Lynne and Alan Tarney, but Jim Steinman was her first choice. "I'm a huge fan of his records, especially his solo album, and when my manager and I were discussing my comeback we both agreed that I had to sound the best or nobody would take me seriously." Steinman initially declined, but reconsidered after Tyler sent him demos of the rock material she was hoping to record.After their initial meeting, Tyler returned to Steinman's apartment in New York a few weeks later where she performed "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with Rory Dodd. Steinman described the song as "a Wagnerian-like onslaught of sound and emotion", and a "showpiece" for Tyler's voice. Her fifth album was recorded at the Power Station in New York, with members of the E Street Band, Rick Derringer on guitar, Rory Dodd and Eric Troyer on backing vocals, and Steinman as producer.
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" was released in the UK on 11 February 1983. It became one of the best-selling singles of all time with over six million units sold. Her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night, debuted at no. 1 on the UK Albums Chart and reached no. 3 on the US Cashbox chart and no. 4 on the US Billboard 200, selling over one million copies in the United States. Tyler's commercial success led to several award nominations, including two Grammys, two AMAs and a BRIT Award. Tyler was named Best Recording Artist at the Variety Club of Great Britain Awards, and she received a Goldene Europa.
Tyler also found success through some of her soundtrack recordings in the mid-80s. In 1984, she released "Holding Out for a Hero" from the Footloose soundtrack. In the following year, her recording of "Here She Comes" for Giorgio Moroder's restoration of the 1927 film Metropolis earned Tyler a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Tyler also declined an offer to record the theme for the James Bond spin-off Never Say Never Again.
In 1986, Tyler released her sixth studio album, Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire. In another collaboration with Jim Steinman, the album also featured songs written by Desmond Child and Bryan Adams and a cover of "Band of Gold" by Freda Payne. "If You Were a Woman " became the album's most successful single, selling over 250,000 units in France. The music video, directed by Steinman and Stuart Orme, received six nominations at the Billboard Video Music Conference.
In 1987, Tyler collaborated with Mike Oldfield on the title track to his album Islands. In the following year, Tyler played Polly Garter in George Martin's album Under Milk Wood, a radio drama by Dylan Thomas. The music was composed by Elton John, and features vocal contributions from Tom Jones, Anthony Hopkins and Mary Hopkin.
Tyler asked Desmond Child to produce her seventh album, Hide Your Heart, which came out on 9 May 1988. The album featured collaborations with Michael Bolton, Albert Hammond and Diane Warren. The album's singles, "Hide Your Heart", "Save Up All Your Tears" and "The Best" became major hits for other artists.