Anyone dismissing Bonnie Tyler as a flash in the pan has been ill informed.

Her concert tomorrow night at Festival Place in Sherwood Park will demonstrate the fact she has not lost a shred of the distinctive vocal talent that propelled her to the top of the charts in the late '70s and early '80s. It can also be said the drive that carried her to - and through - her peak era has remained constant and vital as well.

Survivors of '70s and '80s cusp radio couldn't possibly forget the raspy, pushed-to-the-limit vocals that dominated the airwaves for several years running. Her collaborations with writer Jim Steinman (Meatloaf, Air Supply) Total Eclipse of the Heart, If I Sang You a Love Song and It's a Heartache are as integral to defining the era as anything Madonna, The Eagles or Bon Jovi has delivered.

With such massive sales and airplay for her 1983 smash Faster than the Speed of Night, it's no small wonder the albums preceding and following it get little attention by comparison. To set the record straight, Tyler had been releasing albums since 1977 and continues to record to this day.

"I've just finished recording a version of another Jim Steinman song," Tyler says with a ring in her classic, gravely voice. "I've also finished another six songs for the new CD."

It is also not surprising that, topping other big markets, Canada, until now, was overlooked in Tyler's touring schedule. With stadiums in Europe, Australia and Asia vying for her concerts, our relatively minor league was something her industry reps were ready to bypass in a heartbeat.

"It was a very different scenario at that time," she says. "The last 15 years is when I've enjoyed performing the most. When you're at the top, it's difficult to dictate what you want to do."

Despite freedom from the Top 10 frenzy, the past two decades have seen Tyler and her recordings working as hard as ever. Her hits have been featured in more films than she can remember, including classic cinema such as Footloose, Married Men and Bandits to name a very few. In the latter film, stars Bruce Willis and Cate Blanchett discuss the virtues of Tyler and her songs to the dismay of co-star Billy Bob Thornton.

The Tyler dialogue in Bandits may have been scripted, but in the real world it would seem that Willis is something of a fan.

"It was funny," Tyler says of the Hollywood experience. "About a year ago I was at a restaurant in New York and a man in a baseball cap walked up to my table and said 'Hi Bonnie'. It was Bruce."

There were also legendary moments in film that never happened.

"I turned down the James Bond title song for Never Say Never Again," she says. "I just didn't think the song suited me. I don't know who wound up singing it."

With recording sessions in the works for a 2009 release, touring the world over, collaborating with several artists and trying to maintain a 'real' life, Tyler is not likely to kick back with her feet up anytime soon.

"I'm really having fun with my career now," she says. "I wish it could have always been like this."

Festival Place is located at 100 Festival Way in Sherwood Park. Maps to the venue, show times and other information may be found at www.festivalplace.ab.ca