Hundreds have gathered to mark the death of beloved singer Bonnie Tyler, who is being laid to rest near where she lives in Swansea in Wales on Monday.
An intimate memorial will be held for her nearest and dearest at Swansea Minster at 12 pm before she is transported through her hometown near Skewan.
Real name Gaynor Hopkins, Bonnie was known for her distinctive husky voice, addictive power ballads and energetic rock anthems. The Welsh-born musician died in Portugal in July at the age of 75.
© Getty ImagesBonnie’s husband attended the funeral
Bonnie Tyler’s husband Robert Sullivan was seen attending the funeral today.
They first met when Robert was working as a nightclub manager. He later went on to become a property developer and even competed as a judoka for Great Britain at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
The couple married in July 1973 and spent 53 happy years together.
© Getty ImagesMourners bear the Welsh flag
Roger Bell, the talent scout who discovered the performer when she performed at a club in Swansea, will offer a heartwarming tribute alongside her long-time manager, Matthew Davis.
The service also features a number of songs close to her heart, including Bridge Over Troubled Water, Only Men Aloud, Total Eclipse Of The Heart, Those Were The Days and Making Love Out Of Nothing.
Bonnie’s family asked that those hoping to pay tribute to her death offer support through charitable donations. The singer was a patron of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales and Cerebral Palsy Cymru.
© Getty ImagesThe funeral was held as Swansea Minster
In the order of the service, her family wrote: “She is remembered as a warm, generous artist whose music touched generations and continues to fill dance floors and karaoke booths around the world.”
She “lives on in the timeless songs that made her a legend,” they added.
It comes a few days after mourners packed out the streets of Mumbles in Swansea for the procession of her coffin to her home ahead of the official funeral.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesPeople gathered outside the church
On Saturday, a crowd consisting of friends and fans could be heard singing a rendition of one of her popular songs, Total Eclipse Of The Heart, as her coffin, draped in the Welsh flag, was driven home.
As the coffin made its way down Newton Road, where Bonnie was well-known and loved by locals, the crowd burst into song and applause. Some had travelled from as far as Austria and Germany to watch the memorial procession.
Bonnie, who chose her stage name from her favourite names in newspaper clippings, was a popular Welsh singer who made her mark on music with a series of hits in the 1970s and 80s. She was even the first Welsh artist to land a number-one hit in the US with her song Total Eclipse of the Heart, which topped the charts in the UK too.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesFriends and family arrived for the intimate service
Faster Than The Speed Of Night, the album which featured the track, was also a chart-topping success and landed the singer her only UK number one album.
She released many other major hits, including Holding Out For A Hero, It’s A Heartache and If You Were A Woman (And I Was A Man). She also represented the UK in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden, with the song “Believe In Me”, finishing 19th.
The Princess of Wales spoke fondly of the musician, calling her a “proud Welsh icon”.
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