Beyond his wildest dreams; Tenor Ronan Tynan has achieved music fame and more.

Byline: Richard Duckett

Ronan Tynan will take the stage and sing at the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts on Nov. 16.

Aside from the fact that the world-acclaimed tenor has an unusually rich and resonant voice, you might

find nothing too unusual about the previous statement.

But the Irishman also finds himself in increasing demand these days to stand up - and talk.

Tynan is one of the most sought-after motivational speakers in the U.S., giving nearly 50 speeches annually to major international corporations.

"I believe that if you're willing to focus on the job at hand, you'll reap the rewards," Tynan said during a recent telephone interview from his adopted home of New York City.

It's a question of will, he said. Everyone has it, although not everyone may manifest it at first.

"It's a matter of finding it."

Certainly, Tynan has demonstrated plenty of will and determination during his life. It is a story of almost legendary proportions. A native of Kilkenny in Ireland, he was born with deformed legs that were finally amputated below the knee when he was 20. He had, however, been very physically active and competitive before the operation. So Tynan wasn't about to be slowed down. He went on to be an equestrian and a gold medal winner and world-record breaker in the Paralympic Games of 1984 and '88.

Then he became a medical doctor.

Wait a minute - we haven't talked about singing yet. In fact, Tynan did not take his first singing lesson until he was 31.

Still, Tynan, 48, said that his father always encouraged him to sing. It was will by example. "He had a beautiful voice. God, he had a gorgeous voice," Tynan recalled.

In his final year of medical school in Dublin, he found himself with some time on his hands since most of his studies had been completed. So he talked his way into singing lessons with Veronica Dunn of the College of Music in Dublin.

Or should we say sung his way in. "She really thought I had something. She said, `Darling, I think you're the real deal.' "

Within weeks of starting singing lessons, Tynan was standing up on stage singing before a live audience. Soon he was winning competitions; then his debut album went platinum.

In 1999, Tynan, Anthony Kearns and John McDemott formed The Irish Tenors, with the idea of performing just one show in Dublin. The concert was aired on PBS, and soon the three were touring the United States.

Tynan has now toured the United States many times with The Irish Tenors and also as a solo singer (the latter with longtime piano accompanist Bill Lewis).

Meanwhile, he has written a popular autobiography titled "Halfway Home," which stresses the power of positive thinking.

He has come to Worcester on several occasions for concerts and other appearances. Does he have friends here?

"I'm sure I do," he said hopefully. "I'm sure I do, you know?"

One is sure he does if previous sold-out performances are anything to go by. But the chances are he has even more friends in New York City.

Although still an Irishman, he has also become a Yankee - as in an adopted New York Yankee. He's been singing the seventh-inning stretch song "God Bless America" at Yankee home games for some time. He performed during the recent last hurrah of the old Yankee Stadium, and will be there singing when the new stadium opens in the spring.

Does he like baseball?

"I love it," he said. "I knew nothing about it before, but now I prefer it to football."

This reporter forgot to ask if he was referring to American football or the form of football known as soccer - which is very big in Ireland.

Not surprisingly, Tynan's open-mindedness extends to music. He said his listening tastes include U2, Eric Clapton and Mario Lanza.

In his performances he has increasingly shown his range. Tynan can sing classical, "Danny Boy" and pop tunes as well as "God Bless America."

"I think that's very important for a singer you should never get boxed in to one end," he said. "You should be right across the board. Do ballads, and then be equally at home with a pop song."

An Evening with Ronan Tynan

When: 7 p.m. Nov. 16

Where: Hanover Theatre

for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester

How much: $28 to $45;

[phone] or www.thehanovertheatre.org

ART: PHOTOS

CUTLINE: Ronan Tynan performs last year at Mechanics Hall in Worcester.

PHOTOG: T&G File Photo/STEVE LANAVA