Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler has said Russian president Vladimir Putin had his “face down to his feet” when she performed in the Kremlin.
The Total Eclipse Of The Heart singer said she had visited Russia “many times” before and revealed that Mr Putin was in the front row during one of her performances.
The 72-year-old toured the country before the breakup of the Soviet Union as well, and said it was “very strange”.
Speaking to Elizabeth Day on the How To Fail podcast, she said: “I think I was the first western girl to perform there.
“And it was very, very strange, but beautiful in a way as well, because I had my own band, obviously.
“I had my crew, and we had a Polish crew there as well.
“And we took our own catering, thank God, because in them days, you had to queue for anything.
The audiences were loving it because they'd never had this before. The strange thing is, the first 20 rows, or something like that, was all soldiers and police. The audience had to be very well behaved
Bonnie Tyler
“We had, I believe it was the KGB taking care of us …
“It was a bit strange, because there’d be a lady on every floor of the hotels we stayed.
“It was a normal thing in Russia then. But they watch everything, they write everything down, whoever goes into a room, it’s all written down.
“But the audiences were loving it because they’d never had this before. The strange thing is, the first 20 rows, or something like that, was all soldiers and police.
“The audience had to be very well behaved. I mean, when you go to a concert, you want to go ‘Yeah!’ … In 1988 there was none of that then.”
She added: “I’ve been to Russia so many times. I’ve sang in the Kremlin three times.”
Asked who she had sung for in the Kremlin, Tyler said: “Putin … He was in the front row at one time. He had his face down to his feet.”
That's not gonna happen anymore which is a great shame because (Russia) had turned completely different to the first time I went there and then when I went back, I couldn't believe it, designer stores everywhere
Bonnie Tyler
The singer said she believed the performance was a type of charity gig.
She added: “Obviously, that’s not gonna happen anymore which is a great shame because it (Russia) had turned completely different to the first time I went there and then when I went back, I couldn’t believe it, designer stores everywhere.”
The singer also revealed she had taken her sunbed to Russia and said her skin was now “paying” the consequences.
Tyler, whose real name is Gaynor Sullivan, has released several hit songs over the years including Holding Out For A Hero and It’s A Heartache.
The singer was made an MBE for her services to music in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is available wherever you get your podcasts.