Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler Tyler performing at the Sala Palatului, Bucharest, Romania, on 8 December 2012 Background information Birth name Gaynor Hopkins Born (1951-06-08) 8 June 1951 (age 63) Skewen, West Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom Genres Pop rock, country rock, soft rock, Wagnerian rock, progressive rock Occupation(s) Singer Instruments Vocals Years active 1975–present Labels RCA, Chrysalis, CBS, Columbia, Hansa, Atlantic, East West, CMC Records, Sony, Stick Music, ZYX Music, Celtic Swan Recordings Website Official site Bonnie Tyler (born Gaynor Hopkins; 8 June 1951) is a Welsh singer known for her singles "Lost in France", "It's a Heartache", "Total Eclipse of the Heart", "Holding Out for a Hero", "Bitterblue" and "Believe in Me". Both "It's a Heartache" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart" are among the best-selling singles of all time, with sales in excess of six million. Her work has earned her two Grammy Award nominations, three Goldene Europa awards, three Brit Award nominations, and many other accolades. She is referred to as the 'International First Lady of Rock'. She was born in Skewen, near Neath, and spent seven years performing in pubs and clubs around South Wales before being signed to RCA Records in 1975. Her album Faster Than the Speed of Night won Tyler a Guinness World Record for being the first female artist to debut at number one on the UK Albums Chart in 1983. Making a comeback in 2003, she released "Si demain..." with Kareen Antonn, which was a number one in France for ten weeks. Her latest album Rocks and Honey has had moderate success in Europe, with her single "Believe in Me" being used as the UK's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2013. 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. Tyler has a distinctive husky voice, resulting from an operation to remove vocal nodules in the mid-1970s. Her singing has been compared to Rod Stewart and Kim Carnes.