Skewen’s finest export, the 74 years young Bonnie Tyler, talks to Antonia LeVay about decades of touring the globe, her Welsh roots – with her first homeland arena show in an age this month – and a family who keep her grounded.
There are some voices that feel woven into the fabric of your life, songs you taped off the radio and kept with you into the streaming age. Bonnie Tyler – glamorous Welsh icon, known globally for her gravelly voice, blonde flowing locks and cheeky humour – is one of those voices. She’s back in Wales, on tour and loving it.
Despite over a billion streams for Total Eclipse Of The Heart alone, she remains blasé. “There’s no financial benefit from that,” she says. “It’s all about live shows these days.” Streaming milestones are nice, of course. “Come on, there’s only eight billion people in the world,” she laughs. “So yes, it’s quite an achievement.”
While some in the UK assume she has quietly stepped back, the reality is quite the opposite. She’s constantly on the road, especially across mainland Europe, performing to audiences that span generations. “A lot of people might think I’ve retired because they don’t see much of me in this country,” she says, “but I’m always somewhere!” Three UK dates in March, culminating in a homecoming at Cardiff’s Utilita Arena, are followed by dozens in Europe over summer and autumn.
On stage, insists Bonnie, it’s not about nostalgia alone. Yes, audiences want Total Eclipse, Holding Out For A Hero and the like, which they get, but she continues to release new material digitally, keeping dedicated fans engaged. What stands out most is the joy. “We rock the stage! We have fun, everybody goes away happy. You can’t fake that.”
Lockdown confirmed that for her. While she enjoyed a brief taste of retirement, it wasn’t a permanent fit (“I couldn’t wait to get back out on the road”) and the energy of a live audience, proved irreplaceable. The Bonnie Tyler band has been with the singer for more than 30 years; her husband, Robert Sullivan, travels with her and the family remains central.
A big Welsh upbringing – three sisters, two brothers, nieces and nephews – has kept Bonnie from becoming a diva. “They don’t let you go off on a tangent!” Her nephew lives with her, putting up her accolades and awards while keeping her grounded, and brother Paul is supporting her in Cardiff with his band, Sunshine Cab Co. “He’s been in the same band since he was 14 and he’s in his 60s now,” she says proudly. “We’re still rocking!”
That pride in Wales runs through everything. Despite global success and an MBE awarded in the Queen’s (last ever) honours list, an accolade Bonnie still speaks about with genuine emotion, gratitude seems the driving force in her life, as opposed to ego. “As long as we’ve got our health, we’ve got everything. I’m so blessed that I still have my voice. Thank God I do.” Regarding that famous voice, she works hard to protect it: a dedicated voice coach since 2013, regular phone sessions before shows and disciplined vocal care.
Will she and the other great Welsh pop icon Tom Jones ever perform together? Seems it’s a question of timing. “We’re never in the same place at the right time. We keep missing each other…”
The Bonnie Tyler audience now ranges from seven to seventy. “I’m 74,” she says. “But I don’t feel it. I feel like I’m in my 40s!” When I ask what people can expect on the night in Cardiff, the answer is simple: “Just come along. You’ll have a good time.”
Bonnie Tyler, Utilita Arena Cardiff, Sat 21 Mar
Tickets: from £81.10. Info: here
words ANTONIA LEVAY
