Tyl was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Harvard University in social relations (psychology, sociology, and anthropology) in 1958.
[3] After graduation he moved to Texas where he worked as the business manager of Houston Grand Opera and continued his voice studies.
[7] He initially sang bass roles but in 1970 expanded into the bass-baritone repertoire and found a particular affinity with Wagnerian roles such as Hans Sachs (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Wotan (Der Ring des Nibelungen), and The Dutchman (The Flying Dutchman).
[8] However, he came out of retirement in 1981 to appear in two productions (Madama Butterfly and Semele) with Washington Opera and in 1987 sang in a live German radio broadcast of Kurt Weill's cantata, Ballad of the Magna Carta.
That same year, he moved to Fountain Hills, Arizona, where he continued to work as a consulting astrologer as well as teaching, lecturing and writing on the subject.