Massive mural tribute to Bonnie Tyler appears in her hometown

Nation.Cymru staff

A giant mural of singing star Bonnie Tyler has been created in tribute to the Welsh legend.

The artwork of the much-loved musician, who died in July, aged 75, has been unveiled in her birthplace Skewen by renowned Welsh street artist, Steve ‘Jenks’ Jenkins.

The mural – situated on a wall at the memorial hall off Wern Road in Skewen Memorial Park, was commissioned by the local town council as a lasting memorial to one of Wales’ greatest daughters.

The mural took five days to finish and the artist said it ‘feels worth every second for this to appear.’

Posting on his Facebook page, Jenks wrote:

‘Honoured and very privileged to be requested to paint a Bonnie Tyler memorial wall in her hometown of Skewen near Swansea.

‘Thank you to Coedffranc town council and everyone else involved in the project. It’s taken 5 days and feels worth every second for this to appear.

‘Thank you to everyone that’s said positive things about this wall as it’s been taking shape. It’s been a really nice wall to paint.

‘The two tone face symbolises a memorial mural in black and white and that she lives on through her music in colour. In the background we have Skewen Park.’

The unveiling of the stunning artwork comes as Bonnie Tyler’s last studio recording is set to be released as a Christmas single this month.

The song, which is titled Love, Light and Peace was written by Chrissie Hammond and Terry Britten. It will be released on 13 November.

The track was produced by Britten and David Mackay, who both worked with Tyler at the beginning of her career.

Bonnie Tyler died “unexpectedly” in a hospital in Portugal in July 2026, where she was being treated for an illness, her family said in a statement on her website.

In August, fans lined the street, applauding and shouting “goodbye” as the singer’s white coffin, etched with symbols including a microphone and a treble clef, was carried into Swansea Minster.

Known for her distinctive husky voice, Tyler came to prominence with the release of her 1977 album The World Starts Tonight and its singles “Lost in France” and “More Than a Lover”. Her 1977 single “It’s a Heartache” reached number four on the UK Singles Chart, and number three on the US Billboard Hot 100.

In the 1980s, Tyler ventured into rock music with songwriter and producer Jim Steinman. He wrote Tyler’s biggest hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, the lead single from her 1983 UK chart-topping album Faster Than the Speed of Night.

Steinman also wrote Tyler’s other major 1980s hit “Holding Out for a Hero”. Her other successful singles during this period include “Here She Comes” from the 1984 soundtrack to Metropolis and “If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)”, written by Desmond Child and produced by Steinman. She had success in mainland Europe during the 1990s with Dieter Bohlen, who wrote and produced her hit “Bitterblue”.

Tyler’s work earned her three Grammy Award nominations and three Brit Award nominations (including twice for British Female Solo Artist), among other accolades. In 2022, she was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to music.

Speaking to the BBC, Tyler’s husband of 50 years, Robert Sullivan, said: “Gaynor never stopped working. She loved singing, she loved her fans, and she poured her whole heart into these songs.”

The release comes at a particularly significant time, as Tyler was been due to spend this month performing across Europe on her Jubilee Tour.

The tour would have celebrated 50 years since her breakthrough hit Lost in France entered the UK Singles Chart in 1976, launching a career that made her one of Wales’ most recognisable voices.