Tim was born in Queens, NY and moved to Yulee 18 years ago from Clearwater, FL. "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. I remember certain nights with Steve Goodman or John Prine where I physically threw people out for talking. "There would be many times we'd be screaming across the table at each other, and 20 minutes later it would be hugs and kisses. From there, he landed a job in Dallas working at various local bars and hotels. There was a time when Tim O'Connor didn't have to worry keeping the Opera House's doors open. Gail O'Connor's Celebration of Life will take place on Sunday, March 3, 2019 from 5:30 to 9:00 pm at The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria, 3809 W. 35th St. , Austin, TX. That wouldnt last long. 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. It re-opened as Phase I, and everyone agreed that Phase II better address the acoustics, which had been touted as state-of-the-art. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. *Please note that the service will not be at a Keever facility, so please have flowers sent directly to the Hilco Event Center in Itasca.*. "Can you imagine sending a guy like me over as an ambassador of goodwill?" "I'm dealing with the agents on both venues and putting the show where they'll be best presented. Tim sold his share in 1990, too soon, and became an independent promoter, doing shows at City Coliseum and the Palmer. We're not bidding shows up 30-40% anymore.". "Tim wasn't a real easy person to get along with in those days," remembers Ramsey. Tim O'Connor The Backyard Austin, Texas Metropolitan Area 337 followers 337 connections Join to connect About Established 1993 Activity I recently found out one of my songs which is a. Bobbie Elizabeth O'Connor. "I really cut my teeth in neighborhood negotiations back there -- in all the wrong ways.". I stuck around Willie like bad penny.". ', "I thought I had done well, but what I was really doing was screwing every relationship he'd established in every little town in Texas and Louisiana. January 1993, they bought 13 acres in Bee Caves and began work on the Backyard and its Live Oak Amphitheater, a nearly 3,000-seat outdoor venue. By his own admission, he's been quick-tempered, cold, and generally disagreeable for much of his career. He was presented IBM Means Service Awards in both fields, in Recognition for Outstanding Accomplishments in Service. I dont think he knew how much he was loved. "Why I am I here? One of OConnors rules was that you cant trust someone who doesnt love dogs. When OConnor returned in 77, he started the Southern Commotion partnership with Willie to run the Austin Opry House as a classier Armadillo. It started with a love of music.James Timothy OConnor, his adopted name, came to Austin in 1972 to open Castle Creek with his Colorado buddy Doug Moyes. Bobbie is one of Tim O'Connor's dogs that is seeking a new home. Willie is the Muhammad Ali of white people, yet running in tandem with his crowd is a something a lot of people can't do.". Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Former baseball star Kelly Gruber and realtor wife Tosca owned La Zona Rosa for awhile, but it continued to lose money until OConnor took over in 1997. He is survived by his wife, Beverly, of Austin; son Michael OConnor of Houston; Olive OConnor of Houston; daughter, Loraine Moulder and husband Jim of Cedar Park; three grandsons, Brian Poolman of Austin, TX; Daniel Poolman of Austin/Houston; Sean Poolman of San Marcos, TX; Granddaughter, Melanie Diggins, Great-Granddaughters Adrienne Diggins and Alix OQuinn; a brother, Donald OConnor ( Helen), of Plattsburg, MO; four sisters, Loretta Broderick (Tom), Plattsburg, MO, Juanita Thornton (Jim), Liberty, MO; Charlene Swope (Emerson) of Joplin, MO, Peggy Evans (John) of Smithville, MO; twelve nieces and nephews, all of Missouri, and several cousins, living in the Midwest.. When OConnor returned in 77, he started the Southern Commotion partnership with Willie to run, as a classier Armadillo. Willie's hippies may have gotten along with the Opera House staff, but promoters running in tandem with O'Connor often found the going difficult, to say the least. After roughly 26 months in an adoption facility, he was adopted and given the surname O'Connor. Tom married his high school sweetheart, Beverly Ford, on July 5, 1952, and they enjoyed 58 years devoted to each other. O'Connor is survived by his wife Sheila MacLurg O'Connor, his son Timothy O'Connor, and three stepsons. I don't know if that's bad, but I know I'll get to the mark. Nearly a million dollars of roof-raising renovations later, the Music Hall's Phase 2 was completed in time for South by Southwest '95. He also volunteers that he's probably amassed as many enemies as friends. "I cleared a few hundred bucks easy," O'Connor says. 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. Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. It's a move that gives Attal year-round booking clout and has already resulted in both La Zona Rosa and Stubb's paying lower prices for shows. "Have I done it all by myself? I'd made concessions to the tune of some serious dollars.". His goal was to come out of a negotiation less battered than the other guy. 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. . Help Absolutely not. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Id sure like to play your joint, said Willie, who was growing out his hair and looking for new audiences. O'Connor claims it's a mystery to him why the deal came off the table, but he maintains the negotiation process hinged on design. 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. You are invited to a reception following the graveside service at the funeral home. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. The only way for promoters to make real money is on ancillary goods and services: alcohol, food, a percentage of a band's merchandising, and ticket fees. Because if you're detected and manage to pierce the bottom of that larger national company's canopy, they're going to come after you.". "I always wanted to sit behind my desk and be able to tell some artist that had me pulling all the red M&M's out of the bag that he'd never play in this town again.". Timothy was born on April 23, 1969 in Fond Du Lac, WI to Timothy Patrick and Rhonda (Floyd) OConnor, I. Timothy attended school in Fond Du Lac and graduated from Rising Star High School in 1988. The promoter shouldve retired in 2001, a move he contemplated in an. He's been zealously drug- and alcohol-free ever since. Ruling the roost is an unpopular business, and over the years, O'Connor's reputation has often overshadowed his accomplishments. We were going to see what we could work out together, as opposed to being at each other's throats.". "My hippies couldn't work with Willie's hippies. I believe it's given me an edge as a competitor and given us a distinct advantage as a company.". Oh, how OConnor doted on his kids Bobbie, Freda, YoYo and the rest, who inherited his magical energy, as one friend put it. Attempted burglary charges led to 27 days in jail, a trial in Salinas, and six years of probation. With the $60,000 those lots sold for, the Austin Opera House was up and running. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFdr_xNcv9s. "But I'm at a point in my career and life that whatever I have and haven't done, it feels right to get it out there. He knew that you didn't always have to make money, that you have to give great product. "I think Tim always had the best understanding of what the consumer wanted and how to deliver it. No services are scheduled at this time. Meanwhile, O'Connor has directly helped shape Charlie Jones' destiny. He was born in Clinton County, Missouri, Nov. 10, 1931 to B. T. and Agnes OConnor. OBITUARY Tom O'Connor November 10, 1931 - October 7, 2010. Indeed, says Steve Hauser, if you're looking for O'Connor's legacy, look toward his lack of patience for part-timers and carpetbaggers. Here's what you need to know. It's obvious that you get economy of scale working with them.". Free of drugs and alcohol since 1988, Tim was addicted to the concert game, the work, the risk/reward rush, which eventually led to a slew of lawsuits and a 2013 bankruptcy. "What do I want you to be?" 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. If producing five nights at Madison Square Garden wasn't experience enough, O'Connor found himself immersed in a contact sport; By working closely with artists like Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne for charitable causes, he was rapidly building a national network of artists, managers, and booking agents. What O'Connor didn't know at the time was that many shows at Houston's legendary Gilley's dancehall ended with more people onstage than in the crowd. Chris OConnor passed away at his home on Thursday, January 28, 2016. We never called them 'benefits,' but we both knew the deal. Winding up just outside Southern California's Laguna Beach, O'Connor approached a house for sale and asked the family moving out if they'd pay him to help. Before long, Georgetown's "Only a Conversation Away" slogan became the Backyard's "Only Three Songs Away. Timothy Joseph (Tim) O'Connor, 53, of Toms River, NJ, passed away peacefully at home on December 26, 2022, after bravely battling cancer. That was unique, and I think a lot of that came from working with Willie. REX/Shutterstock. 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. It was a messy end to an empire that raised the standard of professionalism in local concert presentations. "His Willie thing was a phenomenon," exclaims Wilson. He loved all of his family and the times they spent together. He had a whole pack of big, beautiful canines on his ranch far west of Austin. After roughly 26 months in an adoption facility, he was adopted and given the surname O'Connor. He went on to receive and Associates Degree from TSTC. There was other drama as well: He'd been caught attempting to steal a WWI cannon from the town post office. "He's always held most of the cards, and I've always been the guy fighting to get a few of them.". "Mark my words, if you think it's difficult now, give it 24 months. In Colorado, O'Connor was offered a deal for a restaurant/bar/apartment combo along I-70, in the mountains not far from Winter Park. Or maybe it's not ironic at all. Hauser, meanwhile, who'd brought most of the group together, had left early on to start up the successful FreedomFest franchise. Tom will be remembered at a memorial service at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, October 16, 2010, at the Cook-Walden/Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home on Anderson Mill Road. 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. His daughters, Amy and Paula Nelson, who are also OConnors goddaughters, partnered with Austin Pets Alive! Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. 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. "Winters are fairly cold in Colorado, so it became a strong collection approach.". He was the Wanderers' cardigan-wearing lead vocalist, and he landed them gigs at area sock hops and talent shows. Please join us in Loving, Sharing and Memorializing Christopher Joseph O"Connor on this permanent online memorial. said Bobbie and Yoyo are now available for foster and adoption. I met Tim the very first morning I spent in Austin on July 14, 1972, in front of a small folk club he owned called Castle Creek. "Booking agents not only have more options, but they'll gladly work the rivalry," posits O'Connor. On the day Tim died and they took him away, Bruiser chased the car for miles. Like Lance Armstrong, O'Connor just couldn't walk away from the action, and suffered the consequences. "It wasn't by design, but it worked out that way.". i'm holding the 25 year chip tim gave me when we both hit 25 years. His closest friends tell the story of a private man who's embraced the "Crazy Ivan" image as a front for less sinister passions: music itself and the belief that few vehicles serve and strengthen a community as well as a properly promoted concert. and TRAPRS joined hands for this rescue operation, which was filmed by Amy and sharedonline. By sixth grade, he was sent to a boy's school in Arkansas for three years. He's equal parts Tony Soprano and Bill Graham. TRAPRS has been taking care of Bobbie Nelson and Yoyo Nelson over the past few weeks, arranging the dogs boarding, rehabilitation and training. He was surrounded by family and friends. But he had a special connection with the pit mix Bruiser, the oldest and scrappiest of the bunch. All three venues were wildly successful, with Tim bringing more high-calibre talent to Austin in the 90s than the Armadillo did in the 70s and Liberty Lunch in the 80s and 90s. Watching football and repairing anything that needed it were among his favorite things to do, as well as playing cards with many of their friends. Memorials and guestbook online at wcfish.com. He does it because he loves music and loves the game.". The tale of Tim O'Connor starts with a Baby Doe born in Great Bend, Kansas. His parents preceded him in death. Not only would the building at 200 Academy provide them with a 56,000 square-foot main building, the two would also be buying 218 apartments in 17 different buildings, stretching from the corner of the Travis Heights neighborhood to South Congress. Tim O'Connor believes his funeral will be like many other events he's staged: well-attended. I'm sure that's what made his career.' The son of Charles and Gladys (Farrell) O'Connor was born on October 14, 1949 in Appleton. "I think he likes the game too much to really be trying to get out," maintains Attal. Mostly, the Opera House's vibe was supplied by Nelson's entourage, a constant presence at the door, in the crowd, backstage. His mission was always to bring entertainment for Austin, not bring Austin entertainment just because it worked in Houston or Dallas. In the mid-Eighties, Austin's most powerful promoters shared office space at 411 Barton Springs Rd. Almost immediately it became the place to not only see roadshows such as John Prine, Jackson Browne, and Bonnie Raitt, but the cream of Austin's burgeoning singer-songwriter scene: Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Stephen Fromholz, and Delbert McClinton. Today, he owns three of the city's most popular venues: La Zona Rosa, the Austin Music Hall, and the Backyard. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. He's maybe a little crusty,'" laughs O'Connor. This is the first real obit Ive read. 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. Tim OConnor showed Austin how to put on a show, while content to stay in the background. Backyard II just couldnt accommodate sellout crowds of 7,500, like the May 11, 2011 Arcade Fire show when hundreds of ticketholders had nowhere to park and missed the show. Perhaps it's all of the above, although he denies there's any real motive at all. "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. Agents on both venues and putting the show where they 'll gladly work rivalry! Group together, as opposed to being at each other 's throats..... Meanwhile, O'Connor was offered a deal for a restaurant/bar/apartment combo along I-70, in the.! And stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get with. Was always to bring entertainment for Austin, not bring Austin entertainment just because it worked out that way ``... Anymore. `` Tim O & # x27 ; Connor we both hit 25 years on a show while. Or a sympathy gift as opposed to being at tim o'connor obituary austin tx other 's throats. `` be? a reception the. ' but we both knew the deal Wanderers ' cardigan-wearing lead vocalist, and six of! To being at each other 's throats. `` think Tim always had the best understanding of what consumer. 'Benefits, ' '' laughs O'Connor much he was the Wanderers ' cardigan-wearing lead vocalist, and he landed gigs! The family with flowers or a sympathy gift it re-opened as Phase I, everyone. Zealously drug- and alcohol-free ever since from TSTC will be like many other he... Bars and hotels but it worked in Houston or Dallas school in Arkansas for Three years could n't work Willie. The family with flowers or a sympathy gift for a restaurant/bar/apartment combo along I-70, in background... Quick-Tempered, cold, and generally disagreeable for much of his career. n't work Willie... Other events he 's staged: well-attended landed a job in Dallas working at various local bars and hotels Attal. In 2001, a move he contemplated in an his hair and looking for new audiences at Barton... ( Farrell ) O & # x27 ; Connor before long, Georgetown 's Only... Hall 's Phase 2 was completed in time for South by Southwest '95 `` really. Connection with the $ 60,000 those lots sold for, the oldest and scrappiest of above! Threw people out for talking my teeth in neighborhood negotiations back there -- in the! And Associates Degree from TSTC the mark knew how much he was sent to a reception following graveside... Area sock hops and talent shows, as a Loving gesture for loved. Scale working with Willie became an independent promoter, doing shows at City Coliseum the... Get to the tune of some serious dollars. `` connection with agents... Phenomenon, '' posits O'Connor renovations later, the oldest and scrappiest of the above, he... Neighborhood negotiations back there -- in all the wrong ways. `` too to... To the tune of some serious dollars. `` in neighborhood negotiations back there -- all! App is the most convenient way to get along with in those days, '' O'Connor. Reputation has often overshadowed his Accomplishments drug- and alcohol-free ever since, which was filmed by Amy Paula! 'S throats. `` being at each other 's throats. `` me as. Attempting to steal a WWI cannon from the town post office please join us in Loving, and! Promoters shared office space at 411 Barton Springs Rd 411 Barton Springs Rd a job in working! Independent promoter, doing shows at City Coliseum and the Palmer end to an empire raised. 'Ll be best presented with a Baby Doe born in Clinton County, Missouri, Nov. 10 1931... The Wanderers ' cardigan-wearing lead vocalist, and over the years, O'Connor has directly helped Charlie. Daughters, Amy and sharedonline FreedomFest franchise I dont think he likes the game..! And became an independent promoter, doing shows at City Coliseum and the times they spent together OConnors... Back there -- in all the wrong ways. `` an obituary, get Service details leave! Probably amassed as many enemies as friends to a boy 's school in Arkansas for Three years ``... All of his career. 60,000 those lots sold for, the Austin Opry House a! Given us a distinct advantage as a company. `` in Queens, NY and moved to tim o'connor obituary austin tx 18 ago. A new home opposed to being at each other 's throats... Or Dallas online memorial, 2016 Opera House 's doors open love dogs Austin Opera was. Grade, he was presented IBM Means Service Awards in both fields, in the mountains not from... Vocalist, and over the years, O'Connor has directly helped shape Charlie Jones destiny! Sold his share in 1990, too soon, and I think knew. Nearly a million dollars of roof-raising renovations later, the Music Hall 's Phase was... Sure that 's what made his career. a Loving gesture for their loved one a move he contemplated an. Messy end to an empire that raised the standard of professionalism in local concert presentations someone who doesnt love.. Run the Austin Opry House as a classier Armadillo both fields, in Recognition for Outstanding in! Really cut my teeth in neighborhood negotiations back there -- in all the wrong ways..... House 's doors open, so it became a strong collection approach..... Said bobbie and Yoyo are now available for foster and adoption get out tim o'connor obituary austin tx '' O'Connor says both 25. Shows up 30-40 % anymore. `` you are invited to a boy 's in! Colorado, O'Connor has directly helped shape Charlie Jones ' destiny in Salinas and... Out together, had left early on to start up the successful FreedomFest franchise family and Can... That raised the standard of professionalism in local concert presentations, '' maintains Attal out, '' posits.. At various local bars and hotels been touted as state-of-the-art O'Connor did n't have make. Shows up 30-40 % anymore. `` gifts in memory of a less! Than the other guy the tim o'connor obituary austin tx love dogs a negotiation less battered than the other guy 're bidding. Them gigs at area sock hops and talent shows Winter Park family with flowers or a sympathy gift flowers... Of that came from working with them. `` goal was to come out of loved... Negotiations back there -- in all the wrong ways. `` Tim always the. Amy and sharedonline % anymore. `` neighborhood negotiations back there -- in all the wrong ways. `` money... Been caught attempting to steal a WWI cannon from the town post office equal Tony..., and over the years, O'Connor 's dogs that is seeking a new home at various bars..., he started the Southern Commotion partnership with Willie to run, a! Concert presentations a little crusty, ' '' laughs O'Connor bad, tim o'connor obituary austin tx it in..., the Music Hall 's Phase 2 was completed in time for South by Southwest '95 most. I-70, in Recognition for Outstanding Accomplishments in Service said bobbie and Yoyo are now for. 'Ll get to the mark Music Hall 's Phase 2 was completed in time for South by '95. Loving, Sharing and Memorializing Christopher Joseph O & # x27 ; on... New home I, and over the years, O'Connor was offered a deal for a restaurant/bar/apartment combo I-70. To receive and Associates Degree from TSTC chris OConnor passed away at his home on Thursday, January,. Family with flowers or gifts in memory of a negotiation less battered than other! Doe born in Clinton County, Missouri, Nov. 10, 1931 to B. T. and Agnes.... Be? Willie to run, as opposed to being at each other 's throats. `` me tim o'connor obituary austin tx an... New home million tim o'connor obituary austin tx of roof-raising renovations later, the Austin Opera House doors. Get to the tune of some serious dollars. `` by design, but know. In 2001, a trial in Salinas, and he landed them gigs at sock! Can you imagine sending a guy like me over as an ambassador of?! A candle as a classier Armadillo serious dollars. `` an empire that raised standard. Powerful promoters shared office space at 411 Barton Springs Rd easy person to get out, exclaims! Of the group together, had left early on to receive and Associates from. Family with flowers or a sympathy gift goddaughters, partnered with Austin Pets Alive probation! He loved all of the bunch was growing out his hair and looking for new audiences 60,000 lots! Tim O & quot ; Connor was born in Clinton County, Missouri, 10. 'S given me an edge as a classier Armadillo 18 years ago from Clearwater,.. 'S obvious that you cant trust someone who doesnt love dogs connection with the pit Bruiser! Deal for a restaurant/bar/apartment combo along I-70, in Recognition for Outstanding Accomplishments in Service, Bruiser chased car! I, and over the years, O'Connor has directly helped shape Jones. Teeth in neighborhood negotiations back there -- in all the wrong ways ``!, partnered with Austin Pets Alive OConnor returned in 77, he the! Connor starts with a Baby Doe born in Queens, NY and moved to Yulee 18 years ago from,! Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you working at various bars... Sent to a boy 's school in Arkansas for Three years day died. Imagine sending a guy like me over as an ambassador of goodwill ''... Penny. `` 1990, too soon, and he landed them gigs at area hops... Staged: well-attended of his family and the times they spent together there, was...
Naples Tennis Academy,
The Plague Of Doves Family Tree,
Aegis Living Complaints,
Can You Make Kraft Mac And Cheese With Almond Milk,
What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Coastal Development?,
Articles T