He saw the acts being booked at the Creek- John Prine, Guy Clark, Steve Goodman, Steve Fromholz, Townes Van Zandt, Jerry Jeff Walker, etc.- and knew his songs were right for the room. "Instead of fighting each other for the same piece of pie, we were cutting the pie up.". Meanwhile, O'Connor has directly helped shape Charlie Jones' destiny. I believe it's given me an edge as a competitor and given us a distinct advantage as a company.". "I didn't have much fear and figured I didn't need to take much guidance from anyone else.". AUSTIN, Texas Tim O'Connor, owner of The Backyard, Austin Music Hall and other live music venues in Austin, died on July 30 from Hodgkin's lymphoma. After enrolling in a local high school, he immersed himself in student theatre (he was Conrad in Bye Bye Birdie). Travis Heights wouldn't be free of O'Connor until 1990. After significant renovations, he lost nearly $140,000 its opening year and half that its second. Charles "Charlie" M. McLemore 81, passed away Tuesday February 21, 2023. RESCHEDULED FROM 2/2: Branzino, Shooks, Otis Wilkins. "He called me into his office and said, 'Tim, I just want to let you know I think you did a great job, but I think you're maybe just a little ahead of us. Timothy Joseph (Tim) O'Connor, 53, of Toms River, NJ, passed away peacefully at home on December 26, 2022, after bravely battling cancer. 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.". When OConnor passed away from Hodgkins lymphoma in July 2021 at age 76, the music community went into mourning. He grew up in Jackson, NJ, and attended Jackson Memorial High School, followed by Belmont Abbey College . OBITUARY Gail Elizabeth O'Connor November 10, 1952 - October 20, 2018. . Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this . First there was the Two River Canyon Amphitheater in 2003, a gorgeous 800-acre setting near OConnors Spicewood ranch with the potential to thrill festgoers for decades. He was born in Clinton County, Missouri, Nov . He'd bought Nelson out two years earlier, just before the singer's tax situation got messy, but it wasn't long before O'Connor himself wound up in a bit of IRS trouble; since buying the Opera House in 1977, he'd been filing corporate taxes, but not personal taxes. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. While both sides had worked through 98% of the differences, SFX's plan to expand the Backyard clashed with O'Connor's vision of how he wanted to leave the facility. It was a messy end to an empire that raised the standard of professionalism in local concert presentations. 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. "Everyone ends up paying more, including the ticket buyer. By all means necessary. On the road, O'Connor got his hands dirty re-wiring sound systems and handling payouts, but his stint with Nelson was short-lived. He was a 1972 graduate of Barr Reeve High School. Parking was rugged and walks were long, but you felt like you were out in the country. has started a fundraiser to help reimburse those fees- which is estimated to be about $2800- and is asking the public for any interest to help Bobbie and Yoyo get fostered or adopted. He knew that you didn't always have to make money, that you have to give great product. Of course, I didn't really go anywhere. Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. Tim pulled off what I consider to be one of the world's greatest public relations miracles. "As more acts came to town that had witnessed the growth of the concert industry nationally, the relaxed, laid-back Austin approach wasn't as effective," O'Connor explains. "A stray bullet was fired and went into somebody's leg. "I've never had a customer tell me I should cut down a 400-year-old oak tree because the sightlines would be better," he says. cover story that year. "Once upon a time, we were all fighters that ruled our own little neighborhoods," says Threadgill's Eddie Wilson, who once competed with O'Connor at the Armadillo. APA! Now, as his relationship with SFX, the country's largest concert promoter, nears contractual completion, the impact of O'Connor's retirement on the local promotions pool is unknown. It's not about the extra dollar. Then, AMHII was torn down in 2016 to make room for a 28-story office building called Third + Shoal. On my own, I'm doing one date, while they're buying 40. 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. "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.". Separated from his wife, the couple later returned to Kansas to try and make the marriage work. More importantly, the Opera House provided an alternative to the Armadillo. Then came the mall that swallowed our idyllic music setting. So much so, in fact, that Attal has pried a sizable amount of shows away from Direct Events. Like Lance Armstrong, O'Connor just couldn't walk away from the action, and suffered the consequences. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. Although O'Connor did some settling in before utilizing similarly strong-arm tactics in Austin, his arrival was still relatively splashy. Please, Like Lance Armstrong, OConnor just couldnt walk away from the action, and suffered the consequences. What's done is done. "Have I done it all by myself? It just so happened it was my stray bullet.". He found a warehouse with unisex bathrooms and a huge dividing wall. What Jones learned from OConnors example is that you do what you say you will. "Every other time we'd get behind in taxes or I'd miscalculate someway, I'd call Willie and he'd come in and play five dates. 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. I'd made concessions to the tune of some serious dollars.". Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. Whether you know it or not, if you've seen live music in Austin over the past 20 to 25 years, you've likely given money to Tim O'Connor. 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. Two dogs, Bobbie and Yoyo, remain. What a mistake it was to tear down the Music Hall to build a new one that was worse than the old one. to rescue the dogs. "That wasn't the bottom line with Tim, though. The arrangement lasted less than two years, with Ramsey bailing first, followed shortly after by Smith. to help find a new home for them. When my lawyer got done kicking me in the leg, that's when things really went downhill," recalls O'Connor. Support the Chronicle, O'Connor (l) with Willie Nelson and Darrell Royal backstage at the Austin Opera House, 1979, O'Connor (l) with Willie Nelson at the opening of the Backyard, April 15, 1993, O'Connor with MiddleMan Music's Charlie Jones (l) and Stubb's' Charles Attal, Antones, 1979: Hurricane Margaret blows in, Everything back then felt like us versus them and she was one of us, One click gets you all the newsletters listed below, Breaking news, arts coverage, and daily events. The singer believed he'd stumbled on the perfect property. What do you want me to be?". "I didn't take direction very well.". He was the Wanderers' cardigan-wearing lead vocalist, and he landed them gigs at area sock hops and talent shows. He brought a level of professionalism to local concert promotion previously unseen, not to mention a wealth of shows unlike anything Austin had ever experienced. He loved all of his family and the times they spent together. (The plan had been to throw it in the high school swimming pool.) Seeing an opportunity, O'Connor began inviting them to play his bar in exchange for free lodging in the bungalows below. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. "It got me thinking.". Twitter). 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. 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. "Clubs might argue over one act, once a year or so," he says. "I'm a loner," says O'Connor. "He'd sign hundreds of dollar bills and tell the bank president he could come to whatever shows he wanted.". He was born October 20, 1941 in Clarksville, Texas. Some still fear him. I think Ill let you negotiate all my deals with Columbia, was Willies response. Jim Ramsey booked both the Back Room and a healthy slate of Opera House shows. 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. He had a whole pack of big, beautiful canines on his ranch far west of Austin. Timothy "Tim" O'Connor, 55, of Yulee passed away Sunday evening, July 12, 2020 at Baptist Medical Center in Fernandina Beach. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. Grabbing Nelson's beloved guitar Trigger, pushing the country music icon into a waiting car, and beating a hasty retreat, O'Connor had no idea that the cowboys rushing the stage were merely fans who loved Willie and wanted to show their appreciation. Timothy O'Connor, II, 51, passed away on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 in Ennis, Texas Timothy was born on April 23, 1969 in Fond Du Lac, WI to Timothy Patrick and Rhonda (Floyd) O'Connor, I. Timothy attended school in Fond Du Lac and graduated from Rising Star High School in 1988. The Austin Music Hall was repossesssed in 2012 by OmniBank, which lent OConnor the money for the razing and rebuilding. "The first chance he had back in Austin, he fired me," reveals O'Connor. Timothy O'Connor Stanton Timothy O'Connor Stanton, born in Ottawa, Illinois on March 3, 1951, passed away June 2, 2008 after a lengthy and courageous fight. Omni also repo-ed the original Backyard building. here. It's obvious that you get economy of scale working with them.". Program Support Representative in Kansas City and San Jose, then worked in Software Test and Development at Santa Teresa Lab in San Jose. Log in, Steel Guitar Forum LLCPO Box 237Mount Horeb, WI 53572 USA. i'm holding the 25 year chip tim gave me when we both hit 25 years. The promoter shouldve retired in 2001, a move he contemplated in an. He enjoyed brewing wine, bee keeping, hunting, fishing, gardening, and pigeon racing. There was other drama as well: He'd been caught attempting to steal a WWI cannon from the town post office. ", Several months later, the landlord offered him the chance to do just that; after tearing down the wall O'Connor opened the Austin Music Hall with a sign that said "Phase 1. He's maybe a little crusty,'" laughs O'Connor. using a new Instagram account, Austin Pets Alive! Bobbie "Cole" O Connor, age 73, of Austin, lost her courageous battle with cancer and left the struggles of this life on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 Bobbie was born March 9, 1933 in Manor, Texas. Individuals can donate to APA! "I think he likes the game too much to really be trying to get out," maintains Attal. (Austin Pets Alive! And yet, his primary obstacle has been not being able to buy large shows year-round. With income he'll only say was "not legal," O'Connor took ownership of 13 bungalows and a bar he named the Lift. Recovering from triple-bypass surgery, OConnor opened up to writer Andy Langer in a rare Send In the Clowns manner. and TRAPRS joined hands for this rescue operation, which was filmed by Amy and sharedonline. Better yet, while studying the plots they'd just bought, O'Connor found an additional 13 lots they'd inherited through a sale the bank hadn't covered in the mortgage. The tale of Tim O'Connor starts with a Baby Doe born in Great Bend, Kansas. Ann Richards in shorts, reading the New York Times most every Sunday morning. "Eddie Wilson pretty much had a headlock on the city," says Jim Ramsey, a local concert promoter who often rented the Opera House from O'Connor. Thomas Morton O'Connor, 78, passed from this life on Oct. 7, 2010 in Austin, TX. "I realized long ago that music was the nighttime job and that you had to be making money during the day," reveals O'Connor. Email admin@steelguitarforum.com for technical support. A year later, Austin came calling again; Jeff Blank from Hudson's on the Bend believed he'd found the land for a restaurant/venue concept he and O'Connor had long discussed. 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. starts petition, says its location is in jeopardy, Justin Theroux is supporting Austin Pets Alive! In any scenario, Jones and Attal say it would only take a drive to their office to unload the lease to the Austin Music Hall. "When the Armadillo went down, all the other clubs started disappearing. Chris OConnor passed away at his home on Thursday, January 28, 2016. ", "It was the holdout," says Henry Gonzalez, who first worked at the Armadillo and later stage-managed the Opera House. 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. Although O'Connor admits there's still "conversations at different levels" about how the deal might be salvaged, he says a group of well-financed smaller promoters could perhaps team up to purchase the Backyard. Sign up for service and obituary updates. 's website. "Tim wasn't a real easy person to get along with in those days," remembers Ramsey. Ann Richards in shorts, reading the. Sign up for service and obituary updates. Search Austin obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com. We never called them 'benefits,' but we both knew the deal. That was unique, and I think a lot of that came from working with Willie. In the press release, APA! Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. Even so, merely owning La Zona added value to Direct Events. Timothy James O'Connor, 65, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, April 16, 2015 with his family by his side. Once again, the good times didn't last -- local authorities asked him to leave town. O'Connor was left holding the market share of shows in Austin. When OConnor bought the building at 208 Nueces in Sept. 1994, the Austin Music Hall was its fourth venue that year. 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. Was it a case of O'Connor keeping his enemies close? 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. Or, he hints, he could wind up settling for less money to merely close the venue and sell the property outright if he can't find the right buyers. Indeed, says Steve Hauser, if you're looking for O'Connor's legacy, look toward his lack of patience for part-timers and carpetbaggers. Before moving to California, he lived on an island in the middle of Glen Wild Lake, located in Bloomingdale, New Jersey, 30 miles from Manhattan. This was one of those nights. They were blessed with two children, Thomas Michael and Anita Loraine. Defense from what? We were going to see what we could work out together, as opposed to being at each other's throats.". O'Connor's fuse may be longer these days, but one crossed signal could end the deal. Timothy Joseph O'Connor (July 3, 1927 - April 5, 2018) was an American character actor known for his prolific work in television, although he made only a few appearances after the early 1990s. Over the last few years, we've been killing ourselves.". I dont think he knew how much he was loved. When O'Connor passed away from Hodgkin's lymphoma in July 2021 at age 76, the music community went into mourning. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www . Here's what you need to know. 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. worked with TRAPRS, a trapping, rescue and pet recovery service, for the rescue operation. You have to build a base on a fixed income so if you lose it on the concert side you don't go bust.". When OConnor returned in 77, he started the Southern Commotion partnership with Willie to run the Austin Opry House as a classier Armadillo. By sixth grade, he was sent to a boy's school in Arkansas for three years. Tim was in charge of crowd control, earning a reputation as a hard-ass with a soft heart. 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. *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.*. "The acoustics were horrible, and it was just this terribly hot, smoke-filled room.". 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. It started out as Acropolis dance club, then was Blind Alley for a couple months, and then saw the return of promoter Jim Ramsey with Rivers Edge. Is supporting Austin Pets Alive felt like you were out in the Clowns manner game too much to be! Fishing, gardening, tim o'connor obituary austin tx pigeon racing was filmed by Amy and sharedonline do you. 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