Thousands of fans attend procession to pay their final respects
Veteran icon Bonnie Tyler, who was best known for her songs like ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ and ‘Holding Out for a Hero,’ passed away earlier last month in Faro, Portugal, following complications from emergency intestinal surgery. Now, a month later, her coffin has been brought back home to perform her final rites. In a turn of events, thousands of fans of the beloved singer lined up the streets in order to welcome her back home and give their final goodbyes.
Bonnie Tyler’s coffin was brought back to her hometown from Portugal
The Guardian reported that recently, thousands of Tyler’s fans lined Newton Road in Mumbles, Swansea, as her coffin was brought back home. Fans lined the streets to watch the procession as her coffin was brought back, which was covered in the Welsh flag out of respect.According to reports, fans and locals gathered in the area and threw flowers on the car that was carrying her coffin and even sang one of her most popular songs, ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart.’ Tyler lived half of the time in the large Victorian house she owned in Blackpill, near Mumbles, which overlooked the beautiful Swansea Bay. The other half she spent in her home in the Algarve in Portugal.Fans posted photos from the procession online and shared how and why they came together to bid adieu to the icon one last time. One fan told PA Media, “Her music touched a lot of people, especially me. I’m quite surprised how many people came here today, but then not as well, because she was such an icon. She was always coming home and making sure that she came back to her fans in Wales.” The fan further added that her son helped a lot of people in Wales, and “When we found out she passed away, it was such a heartbreak to all of us. We cried and everything.”Michael Bone, 58, and his partner Alan Hawkins live in Derby; however, they drove all the way out to Swansea to pay their respects. They shared, “We thought it’d be nice to pay our respects. For me personally, it’s because in my teens, her music was quite prolific. For me, it was her most iconic period in the 1980s.”A service will be held for the singer on August 17 in the Swansea Minster (Church of St. Mary’s), which will be open to a few select people to attend; however, the event will be livestreamed on a large public screen for everyone to see. She will later be taken to her home village, Skewen, where she grew up in a council house. A final event will take place that will only consist of family members and close friends.
About Bonnie Tyler
Tyler was a reckoning force in the music industry and had a lot of chart-topping songs. Known for her powerhouse vocals, she even represented the UK in the official 2013 Eurovision Song Contest, which was held in Malmö, Sweden. She entered the contest with the song ‘Believe in Me,’ finishing in 19th place.
