Michael S Tyrrell

Michael grew up in Clearwater and started playing guitar around the age of ten and later studied classical guitar with Joseph Lazarro, a protégée of Andre Segovia. He went to Largo High School and upon graduation was asked to join Young American Showcase and was on the road entertaining in High Schools around the U.S.A. He moved to Atlanta a couple of years after working at Thoroughbred Music during the day and playing at MacDill AF Base Officers Club on weekends with his band. In 1982 after seeing an ad in a paper about a national band looking for a 6 ft. tall, long haired guitarist to audition he took a chance and answered the ad. While on a trip to Chicago he received a call that a band by the name of “KISS” requested he go to NYC to audition. Michael along with 199 other aspiring guitarists played with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley as they searched for their next lead guitarist to replace Ace Frehley. At the end of the weekend only Michael and one other musician by the name of Vinnie Vincent were left. The rest is history, Vinnie Vincent became the guitarist but it was not for lack of talent on Michael’s part. In Gene Simmons words to Michael…”the only reason you did not get the gig is because we already have a relationship with Vinnie. Michael, you are one very talented musician, you will go far. Do not let this stop you. Go do great things”. A year later Michael had a life changing encounter with God and Michael never looked back. Gene Simmons was right. In 1984 the opportunity opened up for him to join another big Christian Rock band called Mylon Lefevre and Broken Heart where he toured and played guitar ministering all over the United States and Canada playing Christian rock music at Jesus Festivals and other large venues. His work during this time earned him a Grammy and Dove Award in 1986. That same year he met the love of his life Lillian, and they were married in 1987. They celebrated 35 years of marriage on June 13, 2022.

In the years following he played with his band, Michael and the Angels, in Chattanooga, TN. After a couple of years he and Lillian moved to Atlanta where he met and later joined the band Dubeel, a rock and roll band where all the members were Christian but they played the college and bar circuit and other venues up and down the US East Coast and Canada. Michael loved playing with the band because he enjoyed being, what he called, “undercover”…which was playing popular cover rock songs in bars along with their own overtly Christian songs. The band and Michael saw many people’s lives changed and tragedies averted simply because someone was there, at a bar, available to offer a hug, a word of hope and/or a prayer. As Michael liked to say “the people that are in bars on Friday and Saturday nights partying and getting drunk/high will more than likely not be in church on Sunday morning. So why not let the church go to them. WE are the church”. In 1991 at the end of that season with Dubeel he and Lillian moved to Nashville, TN where he met Doro Pesch. Not too long after they spoke she offered him the lead guitar position with the band and he began touring and playing with her in Europe. After the European MTV tour ended he came home to Nashville and began serving as the assistant youth Pastor for Belmont Church on Music Row where Don Finto was the Pastor and Mark West was the youth pastor. Pastor Don was “Papa Don” to Michael, a forever father figure and Mark became a lifelong friend. It was there that he started the coffeehouse ministry with live music where up and coming (and professional) musicians could play on the weekends as a love offering to the Lord and where the youth were taught to serve. It was called “The Common Ground Coffee House” on Music Row.

In 1994 they left Nashville and over the next 10 years he continued serving the Lord in various churches and worship ministries as well as his own ministry, The Network Center, and traveled as an itinerant minister. He traveled with Ray Hughes for a short season before accepting a call to be youth pastor/worship Pastor at Riverside Church, North Lauderdale. He then toured and ministered with Jason Upton and later Rick Pino. He was an author, speaker, musicologist, musician, composer, inventor, producer. With over 45 years of experience in the music industry alone, he has also shared the stage and studio with a virtual "who's who" of well-known musicians.

Michael S. Tyrrell was also the founder and president of Wholetones, Inc.

Wholetones was created to heal the world through music. Michael created an effective line of frequency based therapeutic music that has been clinically proven to improve people’s health and lives. Michael traveled nationally and internationally as a key-note and motivational speaker sharing his message of hope, healing and transformation. Michael had a unique ability to connect with people’s hearts and to engage them in a way that was truly inspirational. Michael also had a way of interacting with the listeners that made them feel as if they were the only ones in the room.

Besides his love for God, music, family and friends he also loved having fun and laughing…a lot. He especially loved to travel and he loved flying. It never got old no matter how often he did it. He loved watching old westerns and tv shows from his youth, he loved fishing, going to the beach/ocean, laying out by the pool, boating/cruises, snorkeling, going to amusement parks (especially Disney, Universal and any water park). He loved animals, riding his Harley, watching boxing and UFC, smoking a good cigar, reading lots of books, doing research, getting into deep conversations about God and theology. He loved people and listening to their stories. He loved giving and receiving hugs. He also loved a good steak. He loved telling “dad” jokes and was great at puns and loved play on words.

After a long 2 year battle for his health, Michael peacefully transitioned and was escorted into the presence of His savior to his eternal heavenly home surrounded by his wife, family and closest of friends. He is now healed, whole and at peace worshipping with those that he admired and looked up to as giants of the faith. Oh the conversations he must be having with King David, Keith Green, Leonard Ravenhill just to name some of his “heroes”! He now hears and is surrounded by the Sound of Heaven, worshipping the lover of his soul and the One who gave him life, and IS truth, Jesus. He has been divinely transformed from the caterpillar to the Butterfly.

Philippians 3:20 -21 (The Message Bible)

But there’s far more to life for us. We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He’ll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.

Michael leaves behind the following people who loved him more than life:

His loving wife, Lillian; Pam Jantomaso, loving mother; Patrick Jantomaso, step father; Tamara Tyrrell, loving sister; Donald Rusk, uncle; Kathy Gersdorf and Stephen Gersdorf, cousins; Alison Rusk and Paul Rusk cousins; Elizabeth Bazurto, mother-in-law; Alex Bazurto, brother-in-law; Mylena Bazurto sister-in-law; Gabriella and Leonardo Bazurto, niece and baby nephew; Sandra Rodriguez, sister-in-law; Matthew, Michael, Stephan Rodriguez, nephews; Cassandra Rodriguez, niece.

He also leaves behind his closest friends and those he loved as family: Martha Fouce, JB “Barry” Otto, Sundui “Mong-gyver” Chimidkhorloo, Mike Moss, Dustin Horne, Mike and Patti Coleman, Leslie Glenn. The Wholetones family: Fred Frantz, Peter Baraian, Cherri Pike, Brandie Lazaro, Antonio Reyes, Linda Rohrbaugh, Kelly Mortimore, Brian Thornton. And many lifelong friends and acquaintances from the Pinellas County area as well as many more friends from all over the United States and the world.

Michael was predeceased by: Thomas Tyrrell, father; Jane Rusk, Maternal grandmother “Gramma”; Arthur “Bud” Rusk Jr., uncle; Patricia Gersdorf, aunt; Kris Daily, cousin; Alvaro Bazurto, father-in-law; Luis Maurice “Reese” Rodriguez, brother-in-law.

Michael was a man that was loved and who loved. Once you met him you would never forget him. He changed the very atmosphere when he entered a room; he exuded life, light and above all love. To say Michael will be missed by many and all who’ve ever met him is an understatement. He was 62 years old.

A Celebration of Life to honor Michael’s life and legacy will be held on Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 2PM at New Covenant Church, 1101 NW 33rd Street, Pompano Beach, FL 33064, 954-781-3170

In Lieu of flowers we ask that a donation be made to: New Covenant Church, https://newcov.church/ and/or MusiCares, https://www.musicares.org/donations MusiCares provides a safety net of critical health and welfare services to the music community in three key areas.