With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. Hauser, meanwhile, who'd brought most of the group together, had left early on to start up the successful FreedomFest franchise. As Austin's most successful concert promoter, O'Connor has earned and lost several fortunes, ridden deals to the edge of bankruptcy, and played chicken with the IRS since his arrival in town during the early Seventies. "Tim ended up ruling the whole roost.". 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." Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. 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. By flying around the country to meet with agents and sending follow-up packages of barbecue, Attal has earned a reputation within the industry as a dedicated player. The Backyard had about 10 good years until the Shops of the Galleria began encroaching, eventually eating up most of the parking by its 2005 completion. On those nights it was a listening room. 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.". Or maybe it's not ironic at all. Tim pulled off what I consider to be one of the world's greatest public relations miracles. "I may not know him as well as Charlie [Jones], but I'm certain it's not the money that drives him anymore. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. 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. "I think he likes the game too much to really be trying to get out," maintains Attal. to the Family. What it boiled down to was simple: the collective could pool connections and resources to produce bigger and better shows with more frequency then they could on their own. You have to build a base on a fixed income so if you lose it on the concert side you don't go bust.". The venue was charmed from the start, with Leonard Cohen, Jimmy Cliff, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Everly Brothers, Little Feat, the Allman Brothers and a Willie Nelson Fourth of July Picnic that first summer. OConnor owned the Backyards main building, which had a restaurant and his offices, and about half the land. Ann Richards in shorts, reading the. 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. "I met Willie in San Antonio to apologize to him," recalls the promoter of his last move before leaving Austin. exceeds goal to save at-risk pups. Austin Owen O'Connor, 66 of Loogootee, was called home at 9:33 a.m. Friday, December 4, 2020 at Loogootee Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center. "Something clicked," says the 56-year-old promoter today. Chef Jeff Blank found it and originally partnered with OConnor, but it turned out to be a much better venue for 3,500-capacity outdoor concerts than fine dining inside, so Blank refocused on Hudsons-on-the-Bend (and the chicken cone that would redefine festival eating.). I'd like to think I was one of the architects of trying to make this town's concerts more professional.". Thomas Morton O'Connor, 78, passed from this life on Oct. 7, 2010 in Austin, TX. Tim sold his share in 1990, too soon, and became an independent promoter, doing shows at City Coliseum and the Palmer. right now i got tears in my eyesi sat with tim's ashes with connie.i really dont know what to say but thank you michael. His draw often kept the doors open.". When Attal faced a weekend's worth of rainouts last season, Jones brokered a deal that allowed both shows to move to La Zona Rosa. So, Willie Nelsons family stepped in to help. Moving into Michael Martin Murphy's house on 54th across from the DPS and forging fast friendships with musicians like Jerry Jeff Walker and Jimmy Buffet, O'Connor quickly made Castle Creek's bookings competitive. "Instead of fighting each other for the same piece of pie, we were cutting the pie up.". Was it a case of O'Connor keeping his enemies close? Likewise, his exit strategy remains characteristically ambiguous. Three words that changed O'Connor's life. 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. OConnors best decade was the 90s, when his Direct Events opened the Backyard in 93, the Austin Music Hall in 94 and revived La Zona Rosa in 97. RESCHEDULED FROM 2/2: Branzino, Shooks, Otis Wilkins. 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. Then came the mall that swallowed our idyllic music setting. "I didn't have much fear and figured I didn't need to take much guidance from anyone else.". But it's time to clear the air and say the driving force I have at this point is merely wanting to grow old gracefully. If you didn't know what you were doing there, he didn't either. 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. I believe it's given me an edge as a competitor and given us a distinct advantage as a company.". If you did your job and something went wrong anyway, Gonzalez says O'Connor would protect you from angry promoters or artists. And just what might that be? Defense from what? One night they'd be working against nuclear weaponry, the next for prison reform. Keever Mortuary, Inc.. All Rights Reserved.Funeral Home Website by Batesville | Funeral Planning and Grief Resources. Learn More. The deal Willie made with Terrace Motel owner Dude McCandless included 14 acres on South Congress at Academy for just over a million dollars. Recovering from triple-bypass surgery, OConnor opened up to writer Andy Langer in a rare Send In the Clowns manner. "I cleared a few hundred bucks easy," O'Connor says. 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. What nobody expected, Jones included, was O'Connor's recent invitation for Attal to begin booking La Zona Rosa. "I'm dealing with the agents on both venues and putting the show where they'll be best presented. Search Austin obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com. "Winters are fairly cold in Colorado, so it became a strong collection approach.". When Attal was paying for his own meet-and-greet trips to the coasts, Jones was meeting agents on O'Connor's dime. While this cost Direct Events some independence, the contract reserved O'Connor's right to promote 140 acts on his own that he had longstanding relationships with (artists such as Willie Nelson or Little Feat.) "We've always had a policy that if I knew an act better than somebody else or had a certain kind of relationship, it's probably best I'd make the call," explains O'Connor. "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. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. Arrangements under the direction of Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home, Austin, TX. The son of Charles and Gladys (Farrell) O'Connor was born on October 14, 1949 in Appleton. That's rarely the case.". He is preceded in death by his brother, Thomas OConnor, his foster-father, Billy Bowden and step mother, Kay OConnor. "He'd sign hundreds of dollar bills and tell the bank president he could come to whatever shows he wanted.". "The screaming, the reputation, a lot of that was a front," asserts Gonzalez. Help O'Connor's fuse may be longer these days, but one crossed signal could end the deal. What started as benefit concerts for local Native Americans grew into something far bigger: star-studded concerts pairing artists with causes. Ruling the roost is an unpopular business, and over the years, O'Connor's reputation has often overshadowed his accomplishments. After a short stint at a Jesuit high school, he was again shipped away for discipline: this time to Kemper Military School in Booneville, Missouri. I have very little patience for people that fool around in this business or just want to make a buck.". And great product will make it so that you can eventually make money.". View The Obituary For Christopher Joseph O"Connor. Born Sept. 23, 1943, in San Bernadino, Calif., he had been a . using a new Instagram account, Austin Pets Alive! 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. He was a 1972 graduate of Barr Reeve High School. He was presented IBM Means Service Awards in both fields, in Recognition for Outstanding Accomplishments in Service. He loved all of his family and the times they spent together. Guestbook Condolences Memorial Donation. 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. Both are now available for adoption. He knew he'd been sick for some time, but blamed it on exhaustion. Strength in numbers now meant they weren't bidding against each other, so the only venue Pace could book without working with the newly formed collective was the Erwin Center. That venue closed after Direct Events filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Aug. 2013, with debts of $3.5 million and assets of zero. One of OConnors rules was that you cant trust someone who doesnt love dogs. APA! Although O'Connor did some settling in before utilizing similarly strong-arm tactics in Austin, his arrival was still relatively splashy. Tim sold his share in 1990, too soon, and became an independent promoter, doing shows at City Coliseum and the Palmer. Id sure like to play your joint, said Willie, who was growing out his hair and looking for new audiences. I'll never forget Willie's answer. O'Connor has a history with Pace that predates the production company's move from New Orleans to Houston in the Eighties. "I've probably given plenty of people cause not to like me," admits O'Connor. In 1977, he led a group of almost 200 musicians on a cultural exchange trip to Japan. While it's a poorly kept secret that Attal and his partners are entertaining offers to sell Stubb's, O'Connor's retirement is more likely the deal breaker. It doesn't take much asking around for folks to recall the first time he screamed at them, or the first time they witnessed him either stand on his desk to make a point, or clear it with the sweep of an arm. "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. From there, he landed a job in Dallas working at various local bars and hotels. "I'm a loner," says O'Connor. 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. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. The Nelsons reached out to Austin Pets Alive! Of course, I didn't really go anywhere. Is he showing his hand to lull competitors into a false sense of security, or is coming clean part of a public relations campaign designed to repair his reputation before he eases into retirement? "I thought that was the way it was done, but Ms. Martinez at the IRS totally disagreed with my position," says O'Connor of the six-figure penalties he accrued. He was born on June 14, 1983, in Santa Rosa, California. After roughly 26 months in an adoption facility, he was adopted and given the surname O'Connor. We're not bidding shows up 30-40% anymore.". The other rooms he rented. The arrangement lasted less than two years, with Ramsey bailing first, followed shortly after by Smith. Local obituaries for the Austin, Texas area 7,977 Results Tuesday, February 28, 2023 Add Photos Add a Memory Tommy Joe Adkins Tommy Adkins's passing on Friday, February 24, 2023 has been. Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. October 14, 1949 - April 16, 2015, Timothy O'Connor passed away on April 16, 2015 in De Pere, Wisconsin. Employees fear him and competitors loathe him. Sign up for service and obituary updates. It started with a love of music. Private Messages I am what I am," he says. After owning five record stores, French Smith controlled Austin's outdoor events, staging Pecan Street and a half-dozen or so other annual festivals while also renting the Opera House for the occasional indoor show. "The way to make money is to offer a drive-through viewing. 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. We are sad to announce that on March 18, 2021 we had to say goodbye to Timothy F. O'Connor of Big Flats, New York, born in Niagara Falls, New York. ', "I think somewhere along the way, people that know me labeled me as a guy that if I said I'd do it, I did it -- at all costs. Kansas State University was the next institution to ask O'Connor not to return. ", "I liked being in Bee Caves," O'Connor says. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. "Tim and Willie were an odd couple," says Arlyn's Freddy Fletcher, Nelson's nephew. ", 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. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. TIMOTHY O'CONNOR OBITUARY. What O'Connor didn't advance very well was peace between concert promoters and neighborhood groups. "We all found ourselves together one day," says O'Connor. Like Willie Nelson, Tim OConnor is a huge part of Austin music history. Individuals can donate to APA! When OConnor returned in 77, he started the Southern Commotion partnership with Willie to run, as a classier Armadillo. 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. 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. 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. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. 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. 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. Located on Fourth at Rio Grande, an area that looked like where the mob dumped bodies, the Red Zone was inspired by crazy bordertown cafe/bars, with decor (black velvet paintings, bright colors, weird rectangle cutaways) that made someone dub it PeeWees Whorehouse. I ordered the truckstop enchiladas every time, so I cant tell you about the rest of the menu. Like Willie Nelson, Tim O'Connor is a huge part of Austin music history. "But to get a major company to sit down and have the same general plan -- a plan that doesn't compete with the city or the design of the developments around the facility -- is very challenging. 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. 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. And yet, his primary obstacle has been not being able to buy large shows year-round. 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. 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. The promoter shouldve retired in 2001, a move he contemplated in an. When a mutual friend invited him to Austin for what amounted to a consulting gig for the venue, O'Connor signed on as a partner and re-christened the club Castle Creek. "The first chance he had back in Austin, he fired me," reveals O'Connor. 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. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. Unfortunately, O'Connor almost didn't get an opportunity to use his new Rolodex entries. "I do think it's going to work to the consumer's benefit," reasons Attal, who now shares office space with Jones. That would be good enough for me.". TRAPRS helped provide boarding, rehabilitation and training for Bobbie and Yoyo. Here's what you need to know. Jones started answering phones for Direct Events in 1993, and just three years later was La Zona Rosa's general manager. "I really cut my teeth in neighborhood negotiations back there -- in all the wrong ways.". 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. "Have I done it all by myself? What few of these people will do, however, is tell these stories on the record. "Do I want to try and change my image? Tim was an aircraft mechanic and was employed by UPS for over 35 years. "I made it through," nods O'Connor, "but I came out weak.". 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. He's maybe a little crusty,'" laughs O'Connor. Skeptics, on the other hand, said concertgoers wouldn't drive that far for a show, particularly from North Austin. "He was apt to go off, which was a sign of the times, but we were always a little more laid back.". They now own 130 venues nationwide, including 44 amphitheaters. Once again, the good times didn't last -- local authorities asked him to leave town. ", "People that had been to the first round of shows there because perhaps they knew I was the same guy behind the Backyard, would come to me on the streets afterwards and cuss me out," he says. It didn't, and at 22, he moved to Colorado while his family left for Atlanta. On my own, I'm doing one date, while they're buying 40. "It got me thinking.". O'Connor is survived by his wife Sheila MacLurg O'Connor, his son Timothy O'Connor, and three stepsons. 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. No non-musician has had more impact on the Austin scene than Tim OConnor- and he had to leave town for two prime years in the 70s. Its been renovated once again and is currently renting out for private parties. Thomas Morton OConnor, 78, passed from this life on Oct. 7, 2010 in Austin, TX. Example video title will go here for this video, AUSTIN, Texas Tim OConnor, owner of The Backyard, Austin Music Hall and other live music venues in Austin, died on July 30 from Hodgkin's lymphoma. "I was screaming at him," recalls O'Connor, nearly 25 years later. Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. 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. Their profiles are up on APA! "Willie had long been my songwriting hero," explains O'Connor, "and out of the blue, he just walked in, asked for me, and said, 'Hi. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. Somewhere along the way, O'Connor started a band in Laguna. "My hippies couldn't work with Willie's hippies. James Timothy OConnor, his adopted name, came to Austin in 1972 to open Castle Creek with his Colorado buddy Doug Moyes. By 1994, Fowlers Two-Alarm Chili money was almost gone, so he and his partners closed their liberal hangout where youd see Gov. APA! In a press release, APA! On Oct. 1, 1957, he proudly became an employee of IBM and enjoyed a career of 30 years - with 22 of them in Kansas City, MO, and 8 in San Jose, CA before retiring in Austin, TX. When OConnor passed away from Hodgkins lymphoma in July 2021 at age 76, the music community went into mourning. Now, O'Connor owned and operated four different venues with four different configurations: a 3,000-seat indoor room, a 4,000-seat outdoor space, a 1,400-seat indoor venue, and a smaller club-sized room within La Zona. I may have given up a certain amount of information here or there, but my past is that nobody really knows what I'm up to. AUSTIN, TexasAn integral part of Texas history, Tim OConnor, the creator of Austin Music Hall, Austin Opry House and more, passed away this summer of Hodgkins lymphoma. "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. Meanwhile, O'Connor has directly helped shape Charlie Jones' destiny. What O'Connor didn't know was they'd since befriended another fledgling band, Buffalo Springfield, and as word of the two bands' association spread, the show sold out on the belief Stephen Stills and company would show up to jam. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. Tim O'Connor, Direct Events, The Backyard, The Austin Music Hall, La Zona Rosa, Castle Creek, The Austin Opera House, Pace Concerts, SFX, Willie Nelson, Information is power. Tim recognized that better than anyone. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website, Bobbie "Cole" OConnor, 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. (Austin Pets Alive! Timothy is survived by his son, Zachary OConnor and his wife, Natalie; daughter, Taffany Kanmore; grandchildren: Chase Thomas OConnor, Moriah and Mason; his father; Timothy Patrick OConnor, I; his mother, Diane Bowden; brothers: David OConnor, Richard OConnor, Steven Pee Wee OConnor, Gary Robertson, Bill Walden, Donald OConnor and Brian OConnor; sister, Renee Flores and a host of extended family and friends. And to some degree, it's also about admitting what I've done wrong. 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. And suffice it to say that in those days, there were plenty of outside influences that dictated someone's personality, to be as polite as I can without casting stones from a glass house.". He wound up in Houston, diagnosed with cancer. O'Connor was left holding the market share of shows in Austin. "Mark my words, if you think it's difficult now, give it 24 months. "What do I want you to be?" You, Lt. Weinberg? He does it because he loves music and loves the game.". "I don't know if you could quite call us enemies," Attal demurs. Search He was born in Clinton County, Missouri, Nov . O'Connor says the business side of concert promotion back then was fast and loose, but not very competitive. Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. He's been zealously drug- and alcohol-free ever since. Burial will follow in Assumption Cemetery. So much so, in fact, that Attal has pried a sizable amount of shows away from Direct Events. Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. And honestly, for me, it wasn't about money in the end. They are afraid of strangers and are unwilling to leave OConnors property. That and inadequate AC: was that shit even on? "The acoustics were horrible, and it was just this terribly hot, smoke-filled room.". Perhaps it's all of the above, although he denies there's any real motive at all. Weed Corley Fish Funeral Homes and Cremation Services, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He is survived by his . Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. I remember certain nights with Steve Goodman or John Prine where I physically threw people out for talking. He had a whole pack of big, beautiful canines on his ranch far west of Austin. 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.

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tim o'connor obituary austin tx