Tony Tyler
Encyclopedia
James Edward Anthony Tyler (October 1943 in Bristol
– 28 October 2006 in Hastings
, East Sussex
) was a British
writer who authored several books and wrote for the New Musical Express, Macworld
, MacUser
, PC Pro
and Computer Shopper
.
Tony Tyler became a police
cadet
, but quit when told his stammer was so extreme he would never be able to give evidence in court. He found employment as a trainee reporter on a Merseyside
paper.
His best friend Tim Craig (later the father of the actor Daniel Craig
) was a merchant seaman. Tyler stowed away on his Hamburg
-bound ship, aware that the Beatles — whom he vaguely knew — were resident in the German port. He later joined the Royal Tank Regiment
, with which he served in Aden
. In 1966, his father died, and he bought himself and two friends out of the army.
He subsequently Tyler found himself playing Hammond organ
in a soul group based in Italy, the Patrick Samson Set; they had a No 1 there with a cover of "A Whiter Shade of Pale
".
Back in London in 1969, he became publicist for EG Management, who cared for the careers of T. Rex
, King Crimson
and Emerson, Lake & Palmer
.
He was brought into the NME in 1972 by the editor Alan Smith, and was described as "inspirational" by his colleagues of the time. He co-wrote (with Roy Carr
) The Beatles: An Illustrated Record
(1975), the first critical assessment of the complete works of The Beatles after their split. Under the name J. E. A. Tyler, he authored The Tolkien Companion revised and updated, as The Complete Tolkien Companion (2002). In 1977 each of these works was in the New York Times Top Ten. In 1984 he wrote the revisionist I Hate Rock & Roll, a diatribe against the music that he had documented for much of his life.
In 1982, Tyler married his second wife, Kate Phillips, an NME staff writer: at the time of his death they had been together for 31 years. They bought a house overlooking the sea outside Hastings.
just eleven days before he died. He viewed life as a cosmic joke, and said: "Shit happens, but I'm completely cool with this."
He was annoyed, he said, that he would never get to see Casino Royale
, which would feature the first appearance of his godson Daniel Craig as James Bond
.
"I want you to know, for when your time comes," Tyler told his wife, her sister and mother two days before he died, his curiosity about the mysteries of life and death undiminished, "that this isn't really too bad. It's quite dealable with."
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
– 28 October 2006 in Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
writer who authored several books and wrote for the New Musical Express, Macworld
Macworld
Macworld is a web site and monthly computer magazine dedicated to Apple Macintosh products. It is published by Mac Publishing, which is headquartered in San Francisco, California...
, MacUser
MacUser
MacUser is a biweekly computer magazine published by Dennis Publishing Ltd. and licensed by Felden in the UK.In 1985 Felix Dennis’ Dennis Publishing, the creators of MacUser in the UK, licensed the name and “mouse-rating” symbol for MacUser to Ziff-Davis Publishing for use in the rest of the world....
, PC Pro
PC Pro
PC Pro is one of several computer magazines published monthly in the United Kingdom by Dennis Publishing. PC Pro also licenses individual articles for republication in various countries around the world - and some articles are translated into local languages...
and Computer Shopper
Computer Shopper
Computer Shopper could refer to the following publications:* Computer Shopper - a home computer magazine published in the United Kingdom* Computer Shopper - a home computer magazine published in the United States...
.
Tony Tyler became a police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
, but quit when told his stammer was so extreme he would never be able to give evidence in court. He found employment as a trainee reporter on a Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
paper.
His best friend Tim Craig (later the father of the actor Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig
Daniel Wroughton Craig is an English actor. His early film roles include Elizabeth, The Power of One, A Kid in King Arthur's Court and the television episodes Sharpe's Eagle, Zorro and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Daredevils of the Desert...
) was a merchant seaman. Tyler stowed away on his Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
-bound ship, aware that the Beatles — whom he vaguely knew — were resident in the German port. He later joined the Royal Tank Regiment
Royal Tank Regiment
The Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment...
, with which he served in Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
. In 1966, his father died, and he bought himself and two friends out of the army.
He subsequently Tyler found himself playing Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
in a soul group based in Italy, the Patrick Samson Set; they had a No 1 there with a cover of "A Whiter Shade of Pale
A Whiter Shade of Pale
"A Whiter Shade of Pale" is the debut song by the British band Procol Harum, released 12 May 1967. The single reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 8 June 1967, and stayed there for six weeks. Without much promotion, it reached #5 on the US charts, as well...
".
Back in London in 1969, he became publicist for EG Management, who cared for the careers of T. Rex
T. Rex (band)
T. Rex were a British rock band, formed in 1967 by singer/songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan. The band formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four folk albums under the name...
, King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
and Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
.
He was brought into the NME in 1972 by the editor Alan Smith, and was described as "inspirational" by his colleagues of the time. He co-wrote (with Roy Carr
Roy Carr
Roy Carr is an English music journalist. He joined the New Musical Express in the late 1960s and has edited NME, VOX and Melody Maker magazines...
) The Beatles: An Illustrated Record
The Beatles: An Illustrated Record
The Beatles: An Illustrated Record is a 1975 book by music journalists Roy Carr and Tony Tyler, published by Harmony Books. Updated editions were published in 1978 and 1981....
(1975), the first critical assessment of the complete works of The Beatles after their split. Under the name J. E. A. Tyler, he authored The Tolkien Companion revised and updated, as The Complete Tolkien Companion (2002). In 1977 each of these works was in the New York Times Top Ten. In 1984 he wrote the revisionist I Hate Rock & Roll, a diatribe against the music that he had documented for much of his life.
In 1982, Tyler married his second wife, Kate Phillips, an NME staff writer: at the time of his death they had been together for 31 years. They bought a house overlooking the sea outside Hastings.
Death
Tyler was diagnosed with his cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
just eleven days before he died. He viewed life as a cosmic joke, and said: "Shit happens, but I'm completely cool with this."
He was annoyed, he said, that he would never get to see Casino Royale
Casino Royale (2006 film)
Casino Royale is the twenty-first film in the James Bond film series and the first to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
, which would feature the first appearance of his godson Daniel Craig as James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
.
"I want you to know, for when your time comes," Tyler told his wife, her sister and mother two days before he died, his curiosity about the mysteries of life and death undiminished, "that this isn't really too bad. It's quite dealable with."
External links
- 'Shutdown' column tribute by Charles Shaar Murray
- RIP: UK Mac columnist Tony Tyler, MacworldMacworldMacworld is a web site and monthly computer magazine dedicated to Apple Macintosh products. It is published by Mac Publishing, which is headquartered in San Francisco, California...
- Obituary, The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
- Obituary, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...