At the age of 75, Bonnie Tyler died on July 8. In a statement released on her website, the “Total Eclipse of the Heart” singer passed “unexpectedly.”
“Bonnie’s family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for,” the statement said. “We will issue a further statement shortly but for now ask for privacy to deal with this tragedy.”
After the statement was released, Kevin Bacon paid tribute to Tyler in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly.
Tyler recorded “Holding Out for a Hero” for the 1984 film Footloose, a film that starred Bacon. He called Tyler “one of the great voices of rock.”
Referencing a scene from the film, Bacon said during the interview, “I could not imagine chicken racing a tractor to any other song. RIP.”
Rod Stewart, another ‘80s icon, took to social media to pay tribute to the singer.
“We shared similar styles of vocalising,” Stewart wrote on Instagram. “She was a good pal, a true soul stirrer. I sing ‘It’s A Heartache’ every night on tour. I’ll miss you darling Bonnie.”
Catherine Zeta-Jones, known for her Academy Award-winning performance as Velma Kelly in Chicago, also paid tribute to Tyler on Instagram.
“My heart is broken with the news that our dearest Bonnie Tyler has passed away,” Zeta-Jones posted, along with a photo of her and Tyler. “Bonnie was married to my cousin and has been such a part of my life. We are photographed here together the night before my wedding. She sang and rocked it at my wedding. An extraordinary woman with vocals to match. A one of kind artist, who so easily could have been a comedian because she was one of the funniest people I ever met.”
Tyler passed away months after being put into a medically induced coma following severe abdominal pain and a burst appendix in May that led to emergency intestinal surgery. In June, her team reported that she was out of the coma, but was still “very unwell.”
Tyler is survived by her husband of over 50 years, Robert Sullivan.