Gary Tillery
| Gary Tillery | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
August 6, 1947 Phoenix, Arizona |
| Nationality | United States |
| Known for | Writer, Artist |
Gary Tillery is an American writer and artist known for his biographies focusing on the spiritual lives of famous figures, and for his public sculptures. His 2009 book, The Cynical Idealist, was named the official book of the 2010 John Lennon Tribute in New York City, and he created the centerpiece sculpture of the Chicago Vietnam Veterans Memorial, dedicated in 2005.
Tillery was born in Phoenix, Arizona on August 6, 1947. After interrupting his education for military service in Saigon during the Vietnam War, he earned a bachelor's degree in Latin American Studies at Arizona State University and a master's degree in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Tillery co-founded The Townsend Agency, Ltd., in the Chicago area in 1979, and worked as an advertising executive for seventeen years. Throughout his time in the business world he felt drawn to create literature and art. One of his short stories, “Dragon with a Broken Wing,” was selected by Ray Bradbury to receive first prize in a contest honoring the famous native of Waukegan, Illinois. In 1996, Tillery resigned his position as chairman of The Townsend Agency to pursue his twin interests of writing and sculpture.
As a writer, his best-known work is The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon. The book was the first to examine John Lennon as a man of ideas, exploring his impact on the world as a consequence of his self-generated humanist philosophy and his spiritual growth. The book was selected as the official book of the 2010 John Lennon Tribute in New York City, and subsequently translated into German, French, Portuguese, and Danish. A follow-up book, Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison, was published by Quest Books in 2011. A third book in the series, The Seeker King: A Spiritual Biography of Elvis Presley, came in 2013, and was selected as a featured book by the Patheos Book Club. Tillery is also the author of three comedic detective novels, a short story collection, and three volumes of poetry.
...
Wikipedia