Wales will say goodbye to its most famous rock voice in August. Bonnie Tyler, who passed away on July 8 at the age of 75 in a hospital in Faro, Portugal, will be laid to rest on August 17. The funeral home William Pressdee Funeralcare announced this on Friday on behalf of the family.
The memorial service for the singer, whose birth name was Gaynor Hopkins, will begin at 12:00 p.m. local time at the Swansea Minster, St. Mary's Church. Afterwards, the procession will return to where it all began: Around 1:20 p.m. local time, the funeral cortege is scheduled to pass through Skewen, before the family says their final goodbyes in private.
Fans May Pay Their Respects Along the Route
Two days earlier, those who celebrated Bonnie Tyler in concert halls for decades will also get their chance. On Saturday, August 15, the singer will return to her home in Fernhill at 3:30 p.m. local time. Anyone wishing to say goodbye is invited to line up along Newton Road in Mumbles starting at 3:15 p.m., according to the announcement. Until then, the singer will rest at the funeral home.
Instead of flowers, the family requests donations to two organizations that Tyler supported as patron: Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales and Cerebral Palsy Cymru. Her legacy lives on in the timeless songs that made her a legend, the statement concludes.
Two Months Between Emergency Surgery and Death
The singer's death came as a surprise, even though her condition had been critical since spring. In May, Tyler underwent emergency surgery after a burst appendix and bowel perforation. Her spokesperson said at the time that the procedure had gone well and the singer was recovering.
Things took a different turn. After complications, doctors placed her in a medically induced coma. Not until June 15 did her team report that she was awake again, but still seriously ill, with recovery progressing slowly. On July 9, the family announced on the singer's website and social media account that Tyler had died the night before from complications of her illness.
The interpreter of "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" and "Holding Out For A Hero" gave her last performance in March at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire.
