Tony Tyler

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 Macworld, MacUser, PC Pro and Computer Shopper.

He was married twice. He was a former leading journalist at the New Musical Express (described as "inspirational" by his colleagues of the time). Under the name J. E. A. Tyler, he authored "The Tolkien Companion" revised and updated, as "The Complete Tolkien Companion" (2002). He also co-wrote (with Roy Carr) "" (1975), the first critical assessment of the complete works of The Beatles after their split. In 1977 each of these works was in the New York Times Top Ten. He became acknowledged as an authority on J.R.R. Tolkien.

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.

In 1966, 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 and Palmer.

He was brought into the NME in 1972 by the editor Alan Smith,

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 fatal cancer 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."

External links

* [http://www.pcpro.co.uk/macuser/columns/98718/shutdown.html 'Shutdown' column tribute by Charles Shaar Murray]
* [http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&newsID=16327 RIP: UK Mac columnist Tony Tyler] , "Macworld"
* [http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article1943316.ece Obituary] , "The Independent"
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,1936123,00.html Obituary] , "The Guardian"