Former NME writer Tony Tyler has died at the age of 63. The journalist was features editor and deputy editor for the music weekly from 1972 - 1977. Beginning his career as a trainee reporter in Merseyside, Tyler joined trade magazine Beat Instrumental in 1969 as editor, leaving to become a publicist for EG Management before beginning his stint at NME.
NME quote Tyler's former colleague Charles Shaar Murray paying tribute thus: "A lot of the absurdist humour and the piss taking was what Tony brought to the paper. He was very energetic, he was very funny. He pioneered the smoking of a lot of dope at editorial meetings. The NME would not be what it is today if it wasn't for Tyler. He was the heart and soul of the magazine in the 70s. He was a lovely man and will be much missed."
Tyler also published two books during his career, 'The Beatles: An Illustrated Record' and 'The Tolkien Companion'.