One of my favourite artists – Bonnie Tyler – passed away from cardiac arrest following complications from appendix surgery and an induced coma in Albufeira, Portugal today.

She was my age.

And I’ve been with her through every decade.  She was performing only three months ago (after two knee surgeries!!) and was scheduled to tour throughout 2026 and 2027.

I loved her True Grit.

Her spirit.  Her attitude.  Her down to earth humility.

She was born Gaynor Hopkins to a Welsh coal-miner and lived in a Council house with an outside loo.  She loved The Beatles, Top of the Pops, the Swinging Blue Jeans (Hippy hippy shake).

I saw her a few times live over the years – especially in the 90’s.  And memorably in an open air, ancient Roman theatre in Baalbek, Lebanon as the sun set among the cedars and the Mediterranean.

Today’s a Bonnie day.  Playing her songs non-stop, courtesy of Spotify.

And today I feel “A Total Eclipse of the Heart’ and the world is ‘Holding Out for a Hero’.

Her final album – released in 2021 – captured her spirit perfectly – “The Best Is Yet To Come”.

RIP Bonnie.