One of rock’s most distinctive voices has gone silent. Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer behind the classics “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out for a Hero,” has died at the age of 75.
Ironically, the raspy voice that made her famous was never part of the plan. After surgery on her vocal cords in the late 1970s, Tyler was told not to speak, but one frustrated scream permanently changed her voice.
That husky sound would go on to define her career, helping “Total Eclipse of the Heart” reach number one in both the U.S. and the U.K. and become one of the biggest power ballads of the 1980s.
Tyler recorded 18 studio albums, represented the UK at Eurovision in 2013, and was honored by the British government for her contributions to music.
No cause of death has been released.
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