This weekend thousands of people will head to Swansea to pay their respects to Bonnie Tyler. Some will have travelled hundreds if not thousands of miles to be here. They will join with the locals to line the streets of Mumbles this afternoon as a hearse carrying her body will travel from William Pressdee Funeral Care, down Newton Road and then along Mumbles Road to her home overlooking the Bay.
Mumbles Lifeboat Disaster 1947
This is something of a Mumbles tradition. In the past the people of the village have lined the streets to pay their respects to those men of the RNLI lost at sea. In recent years I have stood in silence as an owner of a local shop or respected member of the community has been driven through the streets towards their final resting place.
I often say some of the most emotional moments I have ever experienced have been during those minute silences at the Swansea dot com Stadium. Even if the stadium is full of fierce rivals on the pitch when the referees whistle blows as we remember those who gave their lives in the War or lost their lives in a tragedy like Aberfan there is something truly remarkable that happens to all of us.
A Socially Distanced Family Funeral
I’ve experienced loss a number of times in the last 10 years. Losing my parents and suddenly realising that I was an orphan only really struck me a little while after my mum’s funeral. There was just so much to do at the time that I didn’t have time to think. Having said that, whilst the grief was deep and painful their great age and wonderfully full lives helped make sense of it all.
Losing a grandson was a much harder grief to bear. I had known my parents for over 60 years, my entire life. I only knew Gulliver for 8 days, but it all felt wrong and unfair and it made me scream as I tried to find answers.
This is where friends and society take over. There is a process to go through when you lose a friend or loved one. There are all of the legal matters that have to be followed. There are arrangements for the funeral and the wake. You book the flowers and the cars and it’s as if these rituals give a road map and some structure to a world that often feels like it is falling apart.
Bonnie Tyler was known and loved the world over. Her music has stood the test of time. Ironically this week as many parts of Europe experienced a ‘Total Eclipse’ her song ‘Total Eclipse Of The Heart’ had a 94% increase in plays on streaming services. As she continued to tour the world, especially in Europe, it’s not surprising that so many of her international fans will want to be in Swansea this weekend.
But what about us here in her town?
In many ways many people had thought that Bonnie had possibly retired. They saw here buying her groceries in Marks and Spencer’s or having her hair done or having a glass of wine in a local restaurant and thought she was just putting her feet up. I had been in her company when someone had walked up to her in a wine bar and asked ’Hey Gaynor, are you still singing a bit then…’.
I suppose the easy answer from her would have been to reel off a list of her latest stadium gigs or mention some of the amazing parties she had played at…but no. With that wonderful loud laugh she would make some self-deprecating comment and keep smiling.
The Mal Pope Show where she laughs almost as loudly as she sings!
That is one of the things I will remember about her most. Her laughter. It wasn’t a gentle giggle; it was loud, and it always seemed to come straight from the heart.
It was only a week or so ago that I was approached about helping to arrange a special Celebration here in her home village of Mumbles. With the Retro Mumbles festival taking place all week it was suggested that maybe the gear and infrastructure could stay for one more afternoon so that the people of Mumbles come together and remember Bonnie, or Gaynor as most of them still call her.
This has been the most difficult time for Bonnie’s husband Robert and the rest of the family. None of us wanted to proceed without his blessing. It was only when we received a lovely email wishing us all the best with the event that we all felt comfortable in moving ahead together.
Rob Marshall has been a friend of Bonnie’s for years. The story goes that he asked her for her autograph when he was 15 and then went on to spend Christmas Day with her for the next 30 years. Rob was tasked with inviting some local artists who knew her together with some of her Mumbles friends to join us and share a song or a story.
Planning the Mumbles Tribute with Rob Pendry, Jimi Webb, Paul Whittaker and Rob Marshall
Rob Pendry has played Bonnie’s records on the radio for decades. He was asked to put together a soundtrack to set the scene for the day and also to be there to fill the gaps if things went wrong…which with this being a show with no long rehearsal period is sure to happen.
I was charged with getting some of the great musicians and voices who have worked with Bonnie or been inspired by her to come and share their versions of her music.
Taff and Bonnie
One of the first I contacted was Taff Williams. Taff was there at the start playing on Bonnie’s early records like ‘It’s A Heartache’. In fact he has only recently received a gold disc for playing on that massive hit. I’ve asked him to bring it along on Sunday.
Of course with this being a last minute event some people already have gigs in. For Karl Morgan from ‘Who’s Molly’ it means that he has to go on first before rushing off to another festival in the evening. For Karl being able to pay tribute to Bonnie meant he would move heaven and earth to be there.
Owen Money has known Bonnie for decades. They were both performing in the clubs before making a breakthrough. Owen had a gig booked which he immediately cancelled to make sure he could be there.
Then there’s Steve Balsamo. If you are going to celebrate one of the greatest female voices to come from this part of the world who better to pay tribute than one of the finest male voices we have ever produced.
Trying to find the balance between celebration of tribute has been hard. We want people to have the space to remember Bonnie and to bond together over her music. We will have performers singing many of her greatest hits, but this is not that type of concert. This is our chance to spend a reflective hour or so together. I expect there will be tears and laughter with everyone being encouraged to come along and sing their hearts out.
Most of all I hope we do Bonnie proud, that it’s a day for us all to remember being a part of something very special.