Bonnie Tyler said being awarded the MBE showed that “anyone, no matter what their background, can be successful” as she was honoured for a career spanning five decades that has seen her become one of Wales’ best known artists.

The 70-year-old singer, whose real name is Gaynor Sullivan, was included in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her services to music.

Recognizable by her husky voice, Tyler has released many hits over the years, including “Total Eclipse Of The Heart,” “Holding Out For A Hero,” and “It’s A Heartache.”

In a statement to the PA news agency, she said: “I am truly honoured to be awarded the MBE, especially in Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year, which makes it even more special.”

“This honor shows that anyone, no matter what background, can be successful and win the recognition of our wonderful country if they put their heart and soul into what they do.

“I hope that my honor will in some way motivate others to do their best. You never know what wonderful things can happen to you when you do that.

“I’m just a girl from a small town in Wales who loves to sing, so to be recognised in this way is very meaningful to me, my family and friends.”

The singer grew up in Skewen, a small village near Swansea.

She performed for several years with Bobbie Wayne and the Dixies and later with her own band Imagination in pubs and clubs in South Wales.

The singer was discovered by talent scout Roger Bell in 1974 and released her first single My! My! Honeycomb on RCA Records two years later.

Their breakthrough came in 1976 with their second single “Lost In France”, which entered the charts across Europe, while the 1977 song “It’s a Heartache” was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic.

In 1977, she was nominated for Best British Breakthrough at the Brit Awards and received two further nominations in the British Female Solo Artist category in 1984 and 1986.

The 1980s brought Tyler further success thanks to a collaboration with composer and Meat Loaf producer Jim Steinman.

Their partnership resulted in their classic hit single “Total Eclipse Of The Heart”, released in 1983 as part of their fifth studio album, Faster Than The Speed ​​Of Night.

The power ballad received international recognition, topping the charts in countries around the world, including the UK and the US, and earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1984.

During eclipses throughout the years, the singer continues to trend on social media, seeing an astonishing increase in streams and sales of her single.

She also received a Grammy nomination for the album “Faster Than The Speed ​​Of Night” and the 1984 single “Here She Comes”.

Tyler also represented Great Britain at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden with the song “Believe In Me”, finishing in 19th place.

Over the course of her 50-year career, she has produced a number of studio and compilation albums, including one with the late rocker Meat Loaf in 1989, titled Heaven & Hell.

Their latest album, “The Best Is Yet To Come,” was released in February 2021 and offers a contemporary approach to the sounds and styles of 1980s pop rock.