Timothy leaves. By sixth grade,. "I'm known for being a guy that keeps a lot of things to myself. I wanna work your joint.'". That venue closed after Direct Events filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Aug. 2013, with debts of $3.5 million and assets of zero. ", When the Armadillo finally ended its storied, decade-long run in late 1980, the Opera House was seen by many locals as the last gasp of "Old Austin. Help Unfortunately, before he could think on it harder, a night of drinking in Carmel led to another arrest; police picked up O'Connor and his buddies after neighbors reported having seen them prying at a metal cage in front of the local liquor store. It's not about the extra dollar. Tim sold his share in 1990, too soon, and became an independent promoter, doing shows at City Coliseum and the Palmer. Omni also repo-ed the original Backyard building. He left behind his pack of dogs. "Booking agents not only have more options, but they'll gladly work the rivalry," posits O'Connor. exceeds goal to save at-risk pups. Eric Goodman's Austin FC column, other soccer news. Like Willie Nelson, Tim OConnor is a huge part of Austin music history. In the Seventies, he reigned over Castle Creek. REX/Shutterstock. More to the point, it's been decades since Tim O'Connor carried anybody's guitar and worried about being cold, wet, or hungry. With Nelson's own tax problems, O'Connor didn't have time to implement his traditional Plan B and wound up selling the Opera House at a "fire-sale" price. with all my heart. That wouldnt last long. It started with a love of music. While he's used venues like the Mercury and Antone's to stage larger shows in the off-season, he also runs the risk those clubs will eventually cut him out of the deal. That's rarely the case.". Then there are those that "respect" him too much to dredge up the past, those content with allowing O'Connor to spin his own story, particularly considering he's on the cusp of retirement and still recuperating from triple-bypass surgery. Timothy OConnor, II, 51, passed away on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 in Ennis, Texas. Search Austin obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com. What Jones learned from OConnors example is that you do what you say you will. Can't keep up with happenings around town? His goal was to come out of a negotiation less battered than the other guy. "He's always held most of the cards, and I've always been the guy fighting to get a few of them.". "I could either walk down to the bar and start drinking again, or be honest and do what I said I'd do -- to produce these shows in a professional manner.". "I've probably given plenty of people cause not to like me," admits O'Connor. That O'Connor quickly became known as the best "operator" in town paid off quickly. Although the Backyard wound up proving Austinites would indeed go out of their way for atmosphere and talent, O'Connor's next move brought him downtown. Obituary. On my own, I'm doing one date, while they're buying 40. His warning shot ended up going through a mobile recording trailer on the street and hitting the leg of a Columbia Records executive inside. Tim was born in Queens, NY and moved to Yulee 18 years ago from Clearwater, FL. He does it because he loves music and loves the game.". Nearly a million dollars of roof-raising renovations later, the Music Hall's Phase 2 was completed in time for South by Southwest '95. Timothy worked for Kimbrell Farms for ten years as a service tech. Timothy David Scott O'Connor On Friday September 30, 2022, Timothy O'Connor passed away at the age of 39. You are invited to a reception following the graveside service at the funeral home. I believe it's given me an edge as a competitor and given us a distinct advantage as a company.". "He pretty much taught me 80% of what I know, and the rest comes from the Pace guys we worked with in his office," says Jones, whose MiddleMan Music produces many of the city's largest outdoor concerts and events, from A2K and the Lance Armstrong celebrations to multi-act KGSR Blues Festivals and 101Xfests. Even so, merely owning La Zona added value to Direct Events. He passed in his sleep on April 5 in his longtime home . View The Obituary For Christopher Joseph O"Connor. Over the last few years, we've been killing ourselves.". A year earlier, in Nov. 2007, a rebuilt, 4,400-capacity Austin Music Hall debuted to bad reviews over the sound, which was always the bitch about 208 Nueces. To share your memories of Tom, please visit www.cookwaldenchapelofthehills.com. Gonzalez describes the Tim O'Connor of the Opera House era as a "hard man to get close to," but says that he offered his employees and crews unprecedented latitude. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. A special thanks to Dr. Michael Watkins, Dr. Robert Canby and staff at Texas Cardiac-Arrhythmia and Dr. Stuart McKennon for their excellent care in the past 20 yrs. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. The promoter shouldve retired in 2001, a move he contemplated in an Austin Chronicle cover story that year. Nelson and O'Connor were in business, 50-50, for a mere $10,000 up front. But after a great expense to make the land concert-ready, Two River was one-and-done, opening and closing on the same Fourth of July weekend. Like our page to stay informed about passing of a loved one in Austin, Texas on facebook. 's website. Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. "I got to know an immense amount of people really well," he says. He knew he'd been sick for some time, but blamed it on exhaustion. Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. In 1977, he led a group of almost 200 musicians on a cultural exchange trip to Japan. Who Receive obituaries Alfred Herman Bohot February 25, 2023 (93 years old) If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands. But his theme song that first decade of the new millennium was Weve Only Just Begun. It was all there in a framed note from Willie that OConnor had on his wall: To Tim, Whats Next? OConnor had big plans to create venues for next generations of Austin music fans as his legacy. Not only did Nelson play Castle Creek, he also offered to take O'Connor on the road. "When the Armadillo went down, all the other clubs started disappearing. "I may not know him as well as Charlie [Jones], but I'm certain it's not the money that drives him anymore. Apprehended and returned to Wichita, it wasn't long before O'Connor ran away again. Receive a notification when services are updated. starts petition, says its location is in jeopardy, Justin Theroux is supporting Austin Pets Alive! Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. The son of Charles and Gladys (Farrell) O'Connor was born on October 14, 1949 in Appleton. As cryptic as his warning may be, it's notable that O'Connor also refers to his new alliance as "solidarity by design of defense." Then again, once a drifter, always a drifter; this time, O'Connor settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and hooked up with a friend from his Colorado days, songwriter Tom Campbell. He was king of the roadshow in town for a quarter century, from 1977 until his protege Charlie Jones and Charles Attal took over in 2002 with the Austin City Limits Music Festival and aggressive bookings all over town. When Attal was paying for his own meet-and-greet trips to the coasts, Jones was meeting agents on O'Connor's dime. ", "I liked being in Bee Caves," O'Connor says. RESCHEDULED FROM 2/2: Branzino, Shooks, Otis Wilkins. "It wasn't by design, but it worked out that way.". Memorial services will be held on Monday, October 5, 2020 at 1 p.m. in the Hilco Event Center of Itasca. mother Elizabeth (Penny) O'Connor, 2 brothers, Tim O'Connor, Argyle, Texas and Kevin O'Connor and wife Laura, New Mexico, three nephews, Ryan, Matt and Jeffrey O'Connor . Berating the singer for letting his encore be overrun, O'Connor began yelling. "Have I done it all by myself? Chris was born on July 27, 1959 in Houston, Texas to Joseph L. OConnor and Elizabeth (Penny) Powell OConnor. If you did your job and something went wrong anyway, Gonzalez says O'Connor would protect you from angry promoters or artists. When Tim died, there wasnt a word in the Chronicle or Statesman, and still hasnt been to my knowledge. ESPN analysts say Urban Meyer should be fired for viral dancing video, Police say former NASCAR driver attacked ex-wife with hatchet before being shot, Dallas-area mother rents billboard next to AT&T Stadium to raise awareness about fake pills laced with fentanyl, 8 state propositions will be on the ballot this Election Day. We will miss you and love you always, MeMe. You have to build a base on a fixed income so if you lose it on the concert side you don't go bust.". Let others know about your loved one's death. Once again, the good times didn't last -- local authorities asked him to leave town. Even today, promoters often walk away at the end of the year making as little as 5% of the door's receipts. . Timothy J. O'Connor, who had a long and distinguished career as one of the leading character actors of his generation, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, April 5th, in his longtime home in Nevada City, California, at the age of 90. Tim OConnor showed Austin how to put on a show, while content to stay in the background. Express your condolences with flowers sent to Christopher's family, Share your thoughts and memories of Christopher, Share your thoughts and memories with family and friends of Christopher. SFX. One time I played steel with Milton Carrol in Albuquerque we opened the show for Willie,Tim O'Connor promised me a ride home to Austinwe got a couple of miles outside of Lubbock in Tim's bigass Lincoln when we ran out of gas.Tim gets on the Cb and finds a woman at a base station who gets in touch with her brother in law who happens to own a gas station"this was at 5:00a.m.,A guy shows up with a gas can starts the Lincoln we follow him to his gas station"did I mention its a blizzard outThe guy opens the gas station we fill up,Tim pays him and then tried to give him a fifty dollar tip,The guy said no way be safe.One time Maria Mauldaur played at the Armadillo world Mike Finnegan was on Hammond Organ a d was sporting a black eye,Tim told me that He was in the golden gloves with Finnegan when they were kids and it must've been a bad dude who gave Mike the shiner,Turned out it was Maria's gal background singer who hauled off and hit Finnegan,They yucked it up.Godspeed Tim O'Conner. "I didn't take direction very well.". Others have let bygones be bygones. O'Connor says the business side of concert promotion back then was fast and loose, but not very competitive. and formed what later became known as the Ivory Tower collective. I never heard him not paying an artist or cheating a partner. using a new Instagram account, Austin Pets Alive! "When Willie and I needed to deal with banks, we'd be sure to pull up in front with the bus," explains O'Connor. I'd made concessions to the tune of some serious dollars.". While most people don't care who owns the venues they visit, it could be argued that the one non-performer's name every Austin music fan should know is Tim O'Connor. Of course, I didn't really go anywhere. "While his was a closed shop, you could walk into the Opera House, cut a deal, and get your feet wet as a promoter. According to its website,Bobbieis just a little over two years old andYoyois about four months old. Tim O'Connor, longtime club owner, music entrepreneur and erstwhile promoter of Austin music, partner of Willie Nelson as a director of the famed Fourth of July picnics, has died. We're talking about a concert promoter 30 years later. I know this thread is about Tim, so excuse the minor hijack. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. He was of the Catholic Faith. "That's where I learned to present the best show -- show by show. He loved all of his family and the times they spent together. It didn't, and at 22, he moved to Colorado while his family left for Atlanta. Here's what you need to know. For more information on these two furry friends and how you can help, visit APA! For those desiring, memorials are suggested to Mobile Loaves & Fishes, 903 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., Austin, TX 78746 or at www.mlfnow.org/donate. Maureen Margaret O'Connor Obituary. Perhaps it's all of the above, although he denies there's any real motive at all. He sees it as a return to the free flow of information that he found in the Castle Creek days. "I think he likes the game too much to really be trying to get out," maintains Attal. If youre not prepared to put half your money in a suitcase and throw it off the tallest building, kid, you dont have what it takes to be a concert promoter.. Backed by the national clout of Pace, now part of the larger SFX group, O'Connor believes he's been able to bring more shows to town at competitive prices. Private Messages The tale of Tim O'Connor starts with a Baby Doe born in Great Bend, Kansas. O'Connor has a history with Pace that predates the production company's move from New Orleans to Houston in the Eighties. "Instead of coming to work with machetes, we tried a pencil and pad. And yet, even after being yelled at by $25-a-day roadie, Nelson answered with typical calm. "I knew I'd screwed up big and made my mea culpas. Absolutely not. There was a time when Tim O'Connor didn't have to worry keeping the Opera House's doors open. Twitter). Although O'Connor believed he could build a venue that reflected "Old Austin," his venue was at least 15 minutes away from downtown. Forecast: Severe storms possible Thursday, KVUE remembers the 2018 Austin bombings, 5 years later, Timeline: Severe storms possible on Thursday, Austin Pets Alive! to help find a new home for them. I think Ill let you negotiate all my deals with Columbia, was Willies response. This scene could change as drastically as it did from the Seventies to the Nineties within just a couple of years. She is survived by 2 daughters, Sheila Ham and Janet OConnor; 2 sisters and 4 brothers; 10 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren and a host of other family members. Since O'Connor and Jones both describe their relationship as "father-son," the latter equally close friends with Attal, Jones has been the architect of what could be the new Ivory Tower collective -- a centralized effort from Stubb's, MiddleMan Music, and Direct Events. "My relationships are based on the old way of doing business, where theirs are on a new, more aggressive, streamlined, let's-buy-the-tour or region approach. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. By then it was just a live music club with a dogleg, and a 1,500 capacity that gave Direct Events more flexibility for acts not ready for AMH or the Backyard, both at twice the capacity. "We had a lot of fun, a lot of drinking," says O'Connor, who ran for his freshman class vice-presidency and won. It was a messy end to an empire that raised the standard of professionalism in local concert presentations. Tim O'Connor believes his funeral will be like many other events he's staged: well-attended. "I think they might also say, 'He sure had a lot of breaks because of his association with Willie Nelson. Along with working in Nelson's front office and running Castle Creek, O'Connor also found time to open a non-music club, the Squeeze Inn, a bar on 19th Street where the pool tables, jukebox, and beer were all a quarter. And honestly, for me, it wasn't about money in the end. That and inadequate AC: was that shit even on? Folks told OConnor nobody from Austin would drive all the way out to Bee Cave to see a concert, but after Tim timed the route at just 15 minutes, the Backyard came up with its brilliant three songs away tag. But lastly they'd say, I hope, 'I've had a lot of dealings with the guy, and while he's a tough negotiator and a lot of time you can't figure out what he's up to, he's honest. After staying out drinking until 4am the evening before a three-day blues festival at the Opera House featuring Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Ray Vaughan, O'Connor says he realized he had two choices. But even after all that, OConnor refused to retire, working on a venue in Driftwood until that deal fell through. In the press release, APA! And if you're always looking out for your town and its fans, look what happens. I'm not sure if I said it or not, but I knew right then that I was willing to carry this guy's guitar to hell.". Ann Richards in shorts, reading the New York Times most every Sunday morning. Overestimating access and parking capabilities also marred the second Backyard in Bee Cave, about a mile west of the original. "The town had just gone from zero to 65 clubs in 18 months," says Eddie Wilson of the city's early-Seventies live music boom. In 1960, after eight months of marching with a weighted backpack and an M-1 rifle, O'Connor and several other cadets broke ranks, literally running away and leading police on a manhunt. Join He was the Wanderers' cardigan-wearing lead vocalist, and he landed them gigs at area sock hops and talent shows. "I wanted a fight.". I'd like to think I was one of the architects of trying to make this town's concerts more professional.". We were always running around trying to book as many shows as possible and were most conscious of how much money we could make. Today, he owns three of the city's most popular venues: La Zona Rosa, the Austin Music Hall, and the Backyard. I stuck around Willie like bad penny.". Thanks. i fuckin' miss that guy. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this . The other rooms he rented. Chris OConnor passed away at his home on Thursday, January 28, 2016. TRAPRS helped provide boarding, rehabilitation and training for Bobbie and Yoyo. "I'm a loner," says O'Connor. Celebrate the life of Tom O'Connor, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information care of Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home. You always, MeMe he found in the Castle Creek days you always, MeMe inadequate... 5, 2020 in Ennis, Texas walk away at the end of the above although... A concert promoter 30 years later like our page to stay informed about of! In time for South by Southwest '95 provide boarding, rehabilitation and training Bobbie! Hilco Event Center of Itasca Columbia, was Willies response mile west of the new was... And something went wrong anyway, Gonzalez says O'Connor would protect you from angry tim o'connor obituary austin tx artists. Word in the Chronicle or Statesman, and still hasnt been to my knowledge an independent,. A service tech about Tim, Whats Next cause not to like me, '' Attal. The second Backyard in Bee Caves, '' O'Connor says the business of. 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