In April 1969, Gaynor Hopkins’s aunt heard her singing in her bedroom and entered her in a local talent competition. She was nervous and excited. The song she chose was the chart topper “Those Were the Days,” made popular by Mary Hopkin. It was the first time the 17-year-old had ever used a real microphone. Gaynor did not win the talent show but came in second place to an accordion player. People at the talent show praised Gaynor for her vocal delivery and sweet voice. The following week, Gaynor saw an advertisement in her local newspaper in which a singer named Bobby Wayne was looking to hire three female backup singers. The ad said, “No experience needed, training [would be] given.” Winning second in the talent show gave Gaynor the confidence to audition. Out of the 34 girls who auditioned, Gaynor was one of the three selected. For two years, she performed with Bobby Wayne and the Dixies. There was a problem. Gaynor Hopkins resembled and sounded like Mary Hopkin, and people often confused the two. Gaynor said she never really liked her name, so she took the opportunity to change it. She adopted her niece’s first name, added a common last name, and became Sherene Davis. She performed under that name with her own band called Imagination.
In 1975, Gaynor was performing with her band at a local hotspot called “The Townsman” which was in a multi-story building. Talent scout Roger Bell went to the building to see Vic Oakley sing, but he went to the wrong floor by mistake. Roger liked what he heard and invited Gaynor to London to record a demo. That demo led to a contract with RCA Records. Gaynor released her first single in 1976, but it was a flop. Her second, “Lost in France,” fared much better, then there was another career setback. After suffering with a sore throat, Gaynor’s doctor said she needed surgery to remove nodules from her vocal cords. In the spring of 1977, her doctor said the operation was a success and her voice would return to normal if she remained completely silent for the six-week recovery period. He instructed her to communicate only by writing. Gaynor, a self-proclaimed chatterbox, tried but failed and strained her voice. Her doctor explained that the damage was irreversible.
Gaynor had years left on her contract with RCA, so they brought her in for another recording session. After singing the first six words of a song in the studio, everyone involved was worried. The sweetness was replaced with a huskiness. RCA released the song as a single in November 1977 only after the song’s producer and songwriters threatened to terminate their contracts with RCA. To RCA’s surprise, the song rose to the top 10 in 20 countries and to the number one spot in 8 of those countries. That song was “It’s a Heartache.” Gaynor had many other hit songs including “Holding Out for a Hero” and “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” When Gaynor signed her contract with RCA, they stipulated that Gaynor change her stage name from Sherene Davis to something that sounded less like a belly dancer. She bought two newspapers from which she listed all the Christian names and surnames. She tried many different combinations until she found one that suited her. You may never have heard the names Gaynor Hopkins or Sherene Davis, but the world knows her as Bonnie Tyler.
Sources:
1. Abby Morgan, “Bonnie Tyler: ‘The older you get, the less you have to prove,’’’ Leicestershire Press, July 10, 2023, accessed May 10, 2026, https://leicestershirepress.
2. “33.1/3rd,” Record Collector, December 28, 2023, accessed May 10, 2026, https://recordcollectormag.
3. Goldmine Contributors, “Bonnie Tyler feels ‘The Best Is Yet To Come,’” Goldmine: the Music Collector’s Magazine, May 27, 2021, accessed May 10, 2026, https://www.goldminemag.com/