Singer Bonnie Tyler in induced coma in Portugal

Pallade Veneta - Singer Bonnie Tyler in induced coma in Portugal

Singer Bonnie Tyler in induced coma in Portugal / Photo: Andrew Matthews - POOL/AFP/File

Husky-voiced Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler was Friday in an induced coma in a hospital in Portugal after emergency surgery, a spokesperson said.

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The 74-year-old star, best known for her 1983 mega-hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart", was operated on earlier in the week at a hospital in Faro in southern Portugal.

The singer "has been put into an induced coma by her doctors to aid her recovery," a spokesperson said Friday.

"We know that you all wish her well and ask for privacy at this difficult time please."

Tyler shot to fame in the 1970s with hits including "Lost in France" and "It's a Heartache".

"Total Eclipse of the Heart" later topped the charts in both Britain and the United States.

The Grammy-nominated Tyler, who was born Gaynor Hopkins, was due to start a European tour on May 22 in Malta, to mark 50 years since the release of "Lost in France" which was her breakthrough hit in 1976.

Other concert dates have been planned for Germany, the Czech Republic and Turkey, with a final show planned in Cardiff in December.

Other hits include "Holding Out For A Hero" in 1984 which featured on the soundtrack to the huge US box office success "Footloose".

In 2013, Tyler represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, with the song "Believe In Me", finishing in 19th place.

She was recognised in 2022 by the late queen Elizabeth II who, before her death, awarded Tyler an honour for her five-decades-long music career.

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