She's the queen of the 80s power ballad and at age 74, Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler is just as vivacious and glamorous as you'd imagine when Best Quality Designer Handbag speaks to her ahead of her 2026 European tour.
Grammy nominated Bonnie reveals that she's fully embracing her seventh decade, as she chats to us from her home in the pretty coastal village of Mumbles, Swansea.
© Gerrty"I'm fit enough at the moment, touch wood, and I'm really enjoying doing the shows. I'm still rocking on that stage with my wonderful band, and if you've got your health, you've got everything," she says. "I do home Pilates, only 20 minutes a day - it's something I can do in my hotel rooms."
"I have had problems with my knees; I didn't have new knees, I had what they call washouts [a surgical knee procedure], which turned out to be very successful. So, hopefully that will last for a long time."
Bonnie, known for her raspy, husky tone and whose hits Total Eclipse of the Heart and Holding out for a Hero catapulted her to worldwide fame, is excited for her upcoming UK shows in Manchester, London and Cardiff in March.
This year also marks 50 years since Bonnie – birth name Gaynor Hopkins - released her first hit single, Lost in France.
On her tour she reveals: "I've just come back from Belfast, where the waterfront was sold out there. It was fantastic and the Irish people are so wonderful.
"I'm going to Denmark in a few days, then I'm in London, Sweden, Malta, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Turkey, Austria, then a cruise, then Scotland. I love it. I'm really looking forward to doing the Cardiff show as well."
She shares: "I always do the old hit records and some new stuff. I still record new material because my fans cry out for it."
80s hit songs
Of course, Bonnie's 1983 hit Total Eclipse of the Heart and Holding out for a Hero, released in 1984 on the Footloose movie soundtrack, are still firm fan favourites. Total Eclipse of the Heart recently hit a billion views on YouTube and a billion streams on Spotify. "I still love singing them," she says.
The 'Eclipse' video is an 80s classic, created by the song's writer Jim Steinman.
"When I first heard that song, it just blew me away," says Bonnie. "I don't like making videos - I prefer doing live shows - but it turned out to be magnificent. It was on heavy rotation on MTV."
© GettyHolding out for a Hero was filmed in Arizona's Grand Canyon.
Bonnie recalls: "It was frightening because I was on the top of the Grand Canyon and there was a helicopter hovering above filming me. The wind from the helicopter blew me backwards not forwards, thank God!"
The star is known for her voluminous hair and glamorous outfits and says of her 80s looks: "I used to wear my hair big and curly then; I never had a perm. I just used to put a lot of curling mousse on and just scrunch it with a diffuser."
Did she keep those flamboyant clothes? She laughs: "Oh my God, I should have listened to my father. He said to me, 'Will you stop wearing those shoulder pads? You look like an American Football player!'"
Journey to fame
Growing up, Bonnie was influenced by music greats: Tina Turner, Janis Joplin, Etta James, Wilson Pickett, and Joe Cocker.
She didn't always have that gravelly voice, however. In 1977, she underwent surgery to remove nodules on her vocal cords, and her recovery didn't go to plan. She remembers: "You have to write everything down for six weeks, but it gets very frustrating not being able to talk. One day, I screamed out of frustration, and it took longer to get better.
"When I went back in the studio, I started singing It's a Heartache and my producers said, 'My God, your voice is husky now, but we love it.' It turned out to be a great thing because it became my very first hit record in America."
© GettyBonnie's biggest fan is her husband, property developer Robert Sullivan, who tours with her "always", she says. "I introduce him on the stage to my fans." The couple have a home in Portugal as well as Wales, which Bonnie adores. "I love it there - we all need the sun, don't we?"
Robert is a second cousin of Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, and a friend of Bonnie’s, however, she reveals: "I never see her these days because she's so busy and I'm so busy. We see more of her mother and father."
Family is important to Bonnie, who is one of seven herself. "When I'm home, I try to see as many of them as I can. I have 16 nieces and nephews and 17 great nieces. My Christmas list is astronomical!"
Preparing for a show
Before her concerts, Bonnie calls her voice coach James Windsor, she tells us.
"He works with a lot of stars and he's fantastic. I ring him before every show." She adds: "We do sessions over the phone. When I arrive, I'll do a session with him, then I'll do another session before sound check and the following day. Then before the next show, I'll do a session."
© GettyThe star has a heartening backstage good luck ritual, too: "I always put my little angels out in my dressing room and my cross and chain. I ask the Lord to help us do a great show for the people." She also has an obsidian stone from a good friend. "It keeps you safe."
It’s no surprise that the Welsh powerhouse listens to singers with equally incredible voices on her playlist. "You've got to give it to Tom Jones,” she says, “He never fails. He's still got that strong, incredible voice." Miley Cyrus is a favourite too - and singing with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli is a long-held dream. "I may be working with him in July,” she hints.
Bonnie Tyler performs in Manchester on 17 March, London on 19 March and Cardiff 21 March. For tickets go to Tickmaster here.
