Hundreds of Bonnie Tyler fans gather to pay respects as coffin brought home
The singer died in Portugal in July at the age of 75.
Hundreds of Bonnie Tyler fans have gathered to pay their respects to the late singer as her coffin is brought home.
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The crowd, made up of hundreds of Tyler’s friends and fans, burst into a rendition of Total Eclipse Of The Heart as her coffin was driven home.
The hit singer, whose real name was Gaynor Hopkins, died in July at the age of 75.
Those who knew or admired Tyler have lined Newton Road in the Mumbles, Swansea, to watch the procession as she is transported back to her former home.
Among those waiting to pay their respects to Tyler is Carys Edwards, 18, who says the singer was “an inspiration to everybody”.
She said: “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. Her songs really did touch a lot of people here in Wales, we loved her a lot."
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“When we found out she passed away, it was such a heartbreak to all of us. We cried and everything," she added.
Carys’ mother, Melanie Smith, 53, added: “Most importantly, she was a Swansea girl, and she didn’t forget that.”
Michael Bone, 58, and his partner Alan Hawkins, 54, have travelled from Derby to watch the procession.
Mr Bone said: “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.”
Other fans have travelled from as far as Austria to watch the procession pass through the Mumbles.
Newton Road has been lined with hundreds of fans while others wait outside Tyler’s home on nearby Mumbles Road, with floral tributes laid outside the property.
A celebration of Tyler’s life, for family and friends, will take place at Swansea Minster on Monday, before the singer makes a final journey through her hometown of Skewen.
Tyler’s death came just months after she was treated in intensive care after being placed in an induced coma following an emergency intestinal surgery.
The singer achieved international fame in the 1980s with the release of Total Eclipse Of The Heart, which shot to the top of the charts in the UK and the US.
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.
Recognisable for her husky voice, Tyler released many other hits, including Holding Out For A Hero, It’s A Heartache and If You Were A Woman (And I Was A Man).
She represented the UK in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, with the song Believe In Me, finishing in 19th place.