On this day, February 11, 1983, Bonnie Tyler released a song that would become an unforgettable classic — Total Eclipse of the Heart.
While Tyler’s powerful voice takes the spotlight, there’s another voice on the track singing the iconic “Turn around” lines. That voice belongs to Rory Dodd, a singer from Port Dover.
During the total solar eclipse in April 2024, we spoke with Dodd as the song was once again capturing the public’s imagination.
Below is our full story:
“Turn around.”
Those two words are being sung quite a lot recently, with the dawn of the total solar eclipse on the horizon. People are once again singing the familiar “Total Eclipse Of The Heart.”
While Bonnie Tyler is credited as the singer of the song, it really is a duet – with the male voice being that of Port Dover’s Rory Dodd.
His journey to this famous song, which is once again taking the world by storm, begins with a play in New York City.
He was part of Rockabye Hamlet and knew he would be sharing a stage with a big guy named Meatloaf.
Dodd was there for the first day; Good Morning America was there filming when a moment that changed his life took place.
After that lunch, they came in and started getting ready – Meatloaf was singing a song and he provided harmony but went higher than him, which is something he wasn’t used to.
He once again pulled Dodd aside, saying he was working on an album and wanted him to meet Jim Steinman.
From there, Dodd was working on “Bat Out Of Hell” and went on tour – but that friendship with Steinman really stood out.
So after he finished a tour with Meatloaf, Steinman called Dodd up with an offer.
Dodd said recording it, he knew it would be big.
And he was right.
Dodd had a lot to celebrate around this time as well.
His connection with Steinman and other music industry people led him to work with multiple artists.
Dodd continued to work in the rock and roll world before switching into the commercial business – still living in the bright lights of New York.
Until one day fate would bring him back home to Norfolk County.
He had a fall at the gym and decided to take a trip.
More recently, Bonnie Tyler spoke with the BBC about the enduring legacy of Total Eclipse of the Heart. She shared that, despite the song surpassing one billion streams on Spotify, the massive streaming numbers haven’t translated into much revenue for her personally.
Tyler, now 74, says she still loves performing the song and never tires of hearing fans sing along, calling it “an evergreen song” that continues to pop up in movies, adverts, and playlists around the world.
She also reflected on her long career, including her other hits, her MBE, and her upcoming tour dates, showing no signs of slowing down.
Written by Matt LeBlanc