Bonnie Tyler’s last studio recording, the Christmas single “Love, Light and Peace,” came out on Friday, four months after her death in July at age 75.
The Welsh singer, born Gaynor Hopkins, died after emergency intestinal surgery in Portugal. PA News Agency, carried by the Royston Crow, put her date of death at July 8 and said she had been in intensive care and an induced coma.
Her husband, Robert Sullivan, said she would have wanted fans to hear the music, and he gave his blessing for the release.
“It’s been a heartbreaking year, and I miss her every single day,” Sullivan said, according to the statement published ahead of release.
A Christmas Song Rooted in Grief
The track is festive on its surface, with sleigh bells and angels. Its press release, quoted by Paste Magazine, calls it “a Christmas song through and through”.
Yet its lyrics about loss read differently now. Tyler sings of “the ones who still live on inside our hearts”, and the BBC reported that the song closes with an ad-libbed farewell: “To all, goodnight.”
The Daily Mail said the singer recorded it last winter. It quoted her line wishing listeners love, light and peace on Christmas Day.
Terry Britten Returns After 49 Years
Chrissie Hammond and Terry Britten wrote the song. Britten played guitar on Tyler’s 1977 debut album, The World Starts Tonight, and returned nearly 50 years later as writer and producer.
He produced it with David Mackay, whose studio Sullivan said Tyler visited between live shows. The Herald said Britten was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2026.
Britten is a Grammy winner who has worked with Tina Turner, Sir Cliff Richard and Michael Jackson, according to PA.
Sullivan described a performer who rarely stopped.
“The only time she ever had off was during COVID, and even then she was still on Zoom doing interviews all the time,” he said.
“Gaynor never stopped working. She loved singing, she loved her fans, and she poured her whole heart into these songs,” he added.
The Jubilee Tour That Never Happened
Tyler had been due to spend November performing across Europe on her Jubilee Tour, Nation. Cymru reported. The tour would have marked 50 years since Lost in France entered the UK Singles Chart in 1976.
The Daily Mail added that she was also booked for Cardiff’s Utilita Arena on December 17. Her last public performance was in March at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London, and she had also been due at the Sunshine Festival in Worcester in the summer.
After her last record contract expired, she released music independently: “Yes I Can“on New Year's Day 2025 and”Only Love” in March 2026, shortly before she fell ill, according to the Herald.
From a Neath Council House to Swansea Minster
Born in a Neath council house, Tyler was discovered by talent scout Roger Bell in a Swansea club. Her husky voice earned her the nickname “the female Rod Stewart”, and her career spanned 50 years.
In August, fans lined the streets of Swansea for a celebration of her life at Swansea Minster. The Daily Mail reported her funeral took place on August 17.
Her Career and the Tributes
Faster Than the Speed of Night, the album that featured the hit, gave her only UK number one album. Her other hits included Holding Out for a Hero, It’s a Heartache, Here She Comes from the 1984 Metropolis soundtrack, and If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man).
Her work earned three Grammy nominations and three Brit Award nominations, including two for British Female Solo Artist. She was made an MBE for services to music.
Sir Cliff Richard, 85, shared a photo of himself with Tyler on Facebook and wrote: “Another wonderful friend gone too soon.” Katherine Jenkins called her “a true Welsh legend”. Bryan Adams, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sir Rod Stewart and Melanie C were also among those who paid tribute.