Thousands line Swansea streets as Bonnie Tylers coffin returns to Wales for funeral
Thousands of fans lined the streets of Mumbles, a suburb of Swansea in south Wales, on Saturday as the coffin of singer Bonnie Tyler was driven through her hometown ahead of her funeral. The hearse, draped with the Welsh flag and accompanied by a framed photograph of Tyler, carried her casket past crowds who threw flowers, burst into applause, and sang her 1983 hit *Total Eclipse of the Heart* .
Tyler, born Gaynor Hopkins, died on July 8 at age 75 in a Portuguese hospital following an emergency surgery and weeks in a medically induced coma . The Welsh singer, known for her raspy voice and hits like *It’s a Heartache* and *Holding Out for a Hero*, rose to fame in the 1980s as a power ballad icon. She released 17 studio albums and earned three Grammy nominations over her career .
Among the mourners was 18-year-old Carys Edwards, who stood with her mother, Melanie Smith. “Her music touched a lot of people,” Edwards said. “I’m quite surprised how many people came here today, but then not as well, because she was such an icon” . Smith added, “Most importantly, she was a Swansea girl, and she didn’t forget that” .
Fans traveled from across the U.K. and as far as Austria and Germany to attend the procession. Michael Bone, 58, and his partner Alan Hawkins, 54, came from Derby. “For me personally, it’s because in my teens, her music was quite prolific,” Bone said . Locals described Tyler as a generous figure who hosted annual Christmas parties in Mumbles, where she performed for hundreds of guests .
Tyler was born in 1951 in Skewen, a mining village near Swansea, and grew up in a working-class family with five siblings. In recent years, she split her time between a home in Blackpill, near Mumbles, and the Algarve coast in Portugal . Her song *Total Eclipse of the Heart* surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify earlier this year, 43 years after its release .
A private celebration of her life for family and friends is scheduled for Monday at Swansea Minster, with a public screening of the service in St David’s Square . Tyler represented the U.K. in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing 19th, and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2022 for her services to music .
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Articles
„Eine solche Ikone – Tausende Fans nehmen Abschied von Rocksängerin Bonnie Tyler Gut einen Monat nach dem Tod von Rocksängerin Bonnie Tyler haben Fans und Einwohner ihrer walisischen Heimatstadt Mumbles nahe Swansea der Musikerin die letzte Ehre erwiesen.
welt.de · about 3 hours ago
Thousands of Bonnie Tyler fans gather to pay respects as coffin brought home
bluesky_The Guardian · about 9 hours ago
Bonnie Tyler fans thronged the streets of a south Wales suburb on Saturday as the Total Eclipse of the Heart singers coffin arrived ahead of her funeral. u.afp.com/SHbk
bluesky_AFP English · about 10 hours ago
Centenas despedem-se de Bonnie Tyler no País de Gales Centenas de fãs reuniram-se na localidade de Mumbles, no País de Gales, para ver passar o caixão de Bonnie Tyler, que morreu no Algarve em julho, numa última despedida.
observador · about 10 hours ago
„Eine solche Ikone – Tausende Fans nehmen Abschied von Rocksängerin Bonnie Tyler Blumen fliegen auf den Leichenwagen, „Total Eclipse of the Heart hallt durch Mumbles – Bonnie Tylers Heimatstadt verabschiedet sich von der Rocksängerin.
welt.de · about 12 hours ago
Tusenvis samlet seg for en siste hyllest til Bonnie Tyler Store folkemengder hadde samlet seg i gatene i den walisiske forstaden Mumbles da kisten til artisten Bonnie Tyler ble…
aftenposten · about 13 hours ago
Tausende nahmen Abschied von Bonnie Tyler
orf.at · about 13 hours ago
In Mumbles in Wales: Tausende Fans erweisen Bonnie Tyler die letzte Ehre In ihrer Heimatstadt in Wales nehmen Tausende Fans Abschied von der verstorbenen Rocksängerin. Am Montag soll Bonnie Tyler beigesetzt werden.
faz · about 13 hours ago
Crowd bursts into rendition of Bonnie Tyler hit as coffin returns home The streets of the Mumbles, Swansea, where Tyler lived and was well-known among locals, were packed with people who knew and loved the singer on Saturday.
thejournal · about 14 hours ago
Bonnie Tylers kiste fraktet gjennom gatene i Wales Mange fans samlet seg i gatene i Mumbles i Wales da kisten til artisten Bonnie Tyler ble frakta gjennom gatene. Det viser bilder fra AP. Artisten døde 8. juli på et sykehus i Portugal. Minneseremonien holdes mandag.
nrk · about 14 hours ago
Los fans de Bonnie Tyler reciben su féretro en su tierra natal cantando Total Eclipse of the Heart El lunes se celebrará un funeral privado para despedir a la artista galesa
la vanguardia · about 14 hours ago
Bonnie Tyler fans line streets of Welsh village as her coffin is brought home The Grammy-nominated Welsh pop star died last month in a hospital in Portugal.
abcnews · about 14 hours ago