Tim OConnor showed Austin how to put on a show, while content to stay in the background. Charles Attal has spent the past five years receiving a crash course in concert economics at Stubb's. I'd made concessions to the tune of some serious dollars.". In those days, nobody in Nelson's Family had a title: If you had to ask for one, he didn't need you. 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. At a benefit in Monterey, O'Connor collapsed onstage. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. Attempted burglary charges led to 27 days in jail, a trial in Salinas, and six years of probation. TRAPRS has been taking care of Bobbie Nelson and Yoyo Nelson over the past few weeks, arranging the dogs boarding, rehabilitation and training. This scene could change as drastically as it did from the Seventies to the Nineties within just a couple of years. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. Who Receive obituaries Sandra Lucille Hidrogo February 20, 2023 (81 years old) He was born in Clinton County, Missouri, Nov. 10, 1931 to B. T. and Agnes OConnor. 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. 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. Called an Ice House for the Arts, La Zona Rosa was a special place, opened by Marcia Ball and husband Gordon Fowler in late 89. Attal co-owns and books both the restaurant's small inside room and Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater, a Backyard-style outdoor venue. He enjoyed brewing wine, bee keeping, hunting, fishing, gardening, and pigeon racing. quips O'Connor. Defense from what? "He was apt to go off, which was a sign of the times, but we were always a little more laid back.". O'Connor says the business side of concert promotion back then was fast and loose, but not very competitive. Funeral Home Se. 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. He was born on June 14, 1983, in Santa Rosa, California. After enrolling in a local high school, he immersed himself in student theatre (he was Conrad in Bye Bye Birdie). Some still fear him. What Jones learned from OConnors example is that you do what you say you will. "The first chance he had back in Austin, he fired me," reveals O'Connor. "That's where I learned to present the best show -- show by show. to the Family. ', "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. More than anything else, the stories told and untold paint the picture of a man who knows how to get what he wants, a notoriously stubborn and tough negotiator who never shied away from staging a charity event or benefit. Obituary. 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. Additionally, they can flex the muscle of 1,170 radio stations. He was of the Catholic Faith. 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. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. Burial will follow in Assumption Cemetery. "Tim and Willie were an odd couple," says Arlyn's Freddy Fletcher, Nelson's nephew. So, Willie Nelsons family stepped in to help. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. More to the point, it's been decades since Tim O'Connor carried anybody's guitar and worried about being cold, wet, or hungry. Throughout 1990-91, O'Connor drifted yet again, this time to Minneapolis to work with a group that presented stadium-sized Earth Day concerts featuring acts like Paul McCartney and REM. "It wasn't by design, but it worked out that way.". Over the last few years, we've been killing ourselves.". He knew he'd been sick for some time, but blamed it on exhaustion. Thanks. When O'Connor passed away from Hodgkin's lymphoma in July 2021 at age 76, the music community went into mourning. That venue closed after Direct Events filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Aug. 2013, with debts of $3.5 million and assets of zero. you are the only one i can imagine to put all this into words of love and reality and yesteryear succinctly and soufully. Audiences were either pin-drop quiet or bouncing off the walls. He wound up in Houston, diagnosed with cancer. OBITUARY Gail Elizabeth O'Connor November 10, 1952 - October 20, 2018. . On the day Tim died and they took him away, Bruiser chased the car for miles. His warning shot ended up going through a mobile recording trailer on the street and hitting the leg of a Columbia Records executive inside. 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. Chris is survived by his widow, Sandra OConnor, mother Elizabeth (Penny) OConnor, 2 brothers, Tim OConnor, Argyle, Texas and Kevin OConnor and wife Laura, New Mexico, three nephews, Ryan, Matt and Jeffrey OConnor. When Tim died, there wasnt a word in the Chronicle or Statesman, and still hasnt been to my knowledge. What a mistake it was to tear down the Music Hall to build a new one that was worse than the old one. Tim sold his share in 1990, too soon, and became an independent promoter, doing shows at City Coliseum and the Palmer. And great product will make it so that you can eventually make money.". In the mid-Eighties, Austin's most powerful promoters shared office space at 411 Barton Springs Rd. Yoyo Nelson is only 4 months old. Hauser, meanwhile, who'd brought most of the group together, had left early on to start up the successful FreedomFest franchise. He had a whole pack of big, beautiful canines on his ranch far west of Austin. "I cleared a few hundred bucks easy," O'Connor says. After Travis Heights homeowners blamed him for cigarette butts left nearby, O'Connor found a commercially zoned lot that bordered the neighborhood and briefly put in a petting zoo. They did him one better, allowing him to stay in the garage apartment of their new house. To maintain a relationship between his people and that wonderful bunch of Damon Runyan characters that hang around Willie still impresses me. Please, Like Lance Armstrong, OConnor just couldnt walk away from the action, and suffered the consequences. Berating the singer for letting his encore be overrun, O'Connor began yelling. 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. So much so, in fact, that Attal has pried a sizable amount of shows away from Direct Events. There will be a reception following the service. 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. 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. The Nelsons reached out to Austin Pets Alive! But he had a special connection with the pit mix Bruiser, the oldest and scrappiest of the bunch. That arrest led the state of California to declare him an emancipated juvenile; he could now be tried for adult crimes. I don't think he knew how much he was loved. And honestly, for me, it wasn't about money in the end. On my own, I'm doing one date, while they're buying 40. "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. 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. Bobbie is one of Tim O'Connor's dogs that is seeking a new home. And yet, Attal says he's not waiting in the parking lot for O'Connor to show up with the paperwork. Skeptics, on the other hand, said concertgoers wouldn't drive that far for a show, particularly from North Austin. 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. 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. Check out the rescue video: https://t.co/HdqwH1zKJo Help out today by donating to their rescue and care: https://t.co/H4ndUa1g7M pic.twitter.com/PBL0nIXOWm, Willie Nelsons daughters and OConnors goddaughters, Paula and Amy Nelson, were able to find homes for four of them. He found a warehouse with unisex bathrooms and a huge dividing wall. Like our page to stay informed about passing of a loved one in Austin, Texas on facebook. using a new Instagram account, Austin Pets Alive! "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. 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 had a lot of fun, a lot of drinking," says O'Connor, who ran for his freshman class vice-presidency and won. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. Then, AMHII was torn down in 2016 to make room for a 28-story office building called Third + Shoal. To share your memories of Tom, please visit www.cookwaldenchapelofthehills.com. Chris was born on July 27, 1959 in Houston, Texas to Joseph L. OConnor and Elizabeth (Penny) Powell OConnor. Jim Ramsey booked both the Back Room and a healthy slate of Opera House shows. I'm sure that's what made his career.' Travis Heights wouldn't be free of O'Connor until 1990. APA! Sign up for service and obituary updates. 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. "A stray bullet was fired and went into somebody's leg. "He'd sign hundreds of dollar bills and tell the bank president he could come to whatever shows he wanted.". 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. He graduated from Plattsburg High School in 1949, and farmed with his father until he joined the US Air Force in 1952. O'Connor controlled the Opera House, routinely dealing with Houston-based powerhouse Pace Productions and their Austin liaison, Steve Hauser. REX/Shutterstock. 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.". Its a job for a streetfighter mentality and that was Tim. I dont think he knew how much he was loved. "It was part of the game, because he wouldn't come in until that was the last resort. He went on to receive and Associates Degree from TSTC. Arrangements under the direction of Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home, Austin, TX. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www . Ruling the roost is an unpopular business, and over the years, O'Connor's reputation has often overshadowed his accomplishments. Tim O'Connor believes his funeral will be like many other events he's staged: well-attended. Thomas Morton OConnor, 78, passed from this life on Oct. 7, 2010 in Austin, TX. "I think he likes the game too much to really be trying to get out," maintains Attal. I have very little patience for people that fool around in this business or just want to make a buck.". O'Connor denies critics' claims that he's used Pace's muscles to target Stubb's and Liberty Lunch, and maintains that the increased competition he's seen in the past few years has done more to hurt the local concert business than help his own. "I didn't have much fear and figured I didn't need to take much guidance from anyone else.". But Castle Creek also hosted rock shows- Little Feat, Doug Kershaw, Doug Sahm, etc. The Austin Music Hall was repossesssed in 2012 by OmniBank, which lent OConnor the money for the razing and rebuilding. 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. and TRAPRS joined hands for this rescue operation, which was filmed by Amy and sharedonline. There was other drama as well: He'd been caught attempting to steal a WWI cannon from the town post office. Unfortunately, Ramsey says, there were often too many cooks in the kitchen without a head chef. He was born in Clinton County, Missouri, Nov . He was born October 20, 1941 in Clarksville, Texas. "Booking agents not only have more options, but they'll gladly work the rivalry," posits O'Connor. He went on to receive and Associates Degree from TSTC. "Tim ended up ruling the whole roost.". Charlie is preceded in death by his parents Felix Durward . He's been zealously drug- and alcohol-free ever since. Young told him it was a bird nest on the ground -- he'd only need to pick up the eggs. They also hung out at another one of O'Connor's clubs. His daughters, Amy and Paula Nelson, who are also OConnors goddaughters, partnered with Austin Pets Alive! "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. Visitation for friends and family will be held from 6:00 pm 8:00 pm on Friday, June 2, 2006, at Wilke-Clay-Fish Funeral Home. By all means necessary. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. 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. 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