Biography
Ronan Tynan’s remarkable path would stand out as motivational even without any involvement in music, as he helped establish the Irish Tenors. Born in Dublin on May 14, 1960, he endured a traumatic delivery that took the life of his twin brother and kept him hospitalized for three years. Growing up in Johnstown, County Kilkenny, he faced permanent disability because his lower legs and feet had not fully formed. At twenty, complications from an automobile crash necessitated the amputation of both lower legs. Remarkably resilient, he mastered walking with prosthetic limbs within weeks, earned a medical degree focused on orthopedic sports injuries, and created designs for artificial feet. He also excelled as an athlete, establishing multiple world records in track-and-field competitions within his amputee category. Prompted by his father, Tynan performed informally as a singer until receiving recognition at the renowned Feis Ceoil festival in Dublin in 1992. Serious vocal training began the next year and progressed swiftly, leading to his admission to England’s Royal Opera School in 1994. He soon gained attention on the festival circuit, sang oratorio alongside various orchestras, and made his operatic debut as a cast member in Madame Butterfly in Dublin. His debut solo release, My Life Belongs to You, appeared in Ireland in 1998 and became a commercial success. That same year brought an invitation to join the Irish Tenors, the country’s counterpart to the Three Tenors; the ensemble reached global audiences through multiple recordings and PBS television specials in the United States, while Tynan himself was featured on the news program 20/20. Dividing his time between Dublin and Manhattan, he issued his memoir Halfway Home in 2001. The Impossible Dream followed in 2002, and Ronan appeared in 2005, coinciding with his exit from the Irish Tenors. In 2006 he released The Dawning of the Day, a set of faith-inspired material.
Albums
