Bonnie Tyler (born
Gaynor Hopkins; 8 June 1951) is a Welsh singer. She was born in Skewen, Wales, and spent seven years performing in pubs and clubs around South Wales before being signed to RCA Records in 1975. 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 1978 single "It's a Heartache" was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching number 4 in the UK and number 3 in the US. After winning the 10th World Popular Song Festival in 1979, Tyler converted from country music to rock music.
Her career peaked in the 1980s when she collaborated with Jim Steinman, releasing international hits "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Holding Out for a Hero". Tyler's success in this period culminated in two Brit Award and three Grammy Award nominations. She was also listed in the
Guinness Book of British Hit Albums for being the first female artist to enter the UK Album Charts at number one with
Faster Than the Speed of Night (1983). Following the contest, Tyler received two Eurovision Song Contest Radio Awards for Best Song and Best Singer, making her the first UK representative to win the award.
Her distinctive husky voice, which is a result of an operation to remove vocal nodules, has had her compared to artists such as Rod Stewart and Kim Carnes. Tyler has been referred to as the 'International First Lady of Rock', and two of her songs are among the best-selling singles of all time.