Sign up for service and obituary updates. Kansas State University was the next institution to ask O'Connor not to return. And while monopolies are generally bad for the consumer, in the concert business, they tend to work to the ticket buyer's advantage: Promoters paying less for shows typically pass it on to the consumer to increase attendance and thus increase alcohol sales and other ancillary revenue. But they all turned to shit. That wouldnt last long. On the road, O'Connor got his hands dirty re-wiring sound systems and handling payouts, but his stint with Nelson was short-lived. There will be a reception following the service. OBITUARY Tom O'Connor November 10, 1931 - October 7, 2010. 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. Of course, I didn't really go anywhere. "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. TRAPRS helped provide boarding, rehabilitation and training for Bobbie and Yoyo. That would be good enough for me.". 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. Program Support Representative in Kansas City and San Jose, then worked in Software Test and Development at Santa Teresa Lab in San Jose. "I'm dealing with the agents on both venues and putting the show where they'll be best presented. Before long, Georgetown's "Only a Conversation Away" slogan became the Backyard's "Only Three Songs Away. I felt lost, without a home, he told Chris Riemenschneider of the, By 1994, Fowlers Two-Alarm Chili money was almost gone, so he and his partners closed their liberal hangout where youd see Gov. 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. Chris was preceded in death by his father Joseph L. OConnor. I remember certain nights with Steve Goodman or John Prine where I physically threw people out for talking. Timothy worked for Kimbrell Farms for ten years as a service tech. In the Seventies, he reigned over Castle Creek. More to the point, it's been decades since Tim O'Connor carried anybody's guitar and worried about being cold, wet, or hungry. I stuck around Willie like bad penny.". 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. Has Alejandro Escovedo ever sounded better than on the Sunday nights that closed SXSW? "It got me thinking.". He also volunteers that he's probably amassed as many enemies as friends. (APA!) 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.. Perhaps it's all of the above, although he denies there's any real motive at all. He went on to receive and Associates Degree from TSTC. Bobbie was preceded in death by her husband, Curly OConnor in 1974; her son, Arvel Franklin; and her parents, Frank and Louise Cole; and two brothers. His warning shot ended up going through a mobile recording trailer on the street and hitting the leg of a Columbia Records executive inside. 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 Willies Picnic traffic backed up 11 miles after the parking lot was full, there were a lot of pissed-off Deadheads. At this point, there's no timeframe on how long Attal and O'Connor will continue working together. 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. Along with Wilson's Armadillo, and the One Night, Soap Creek, Split Rail, and Broken Spoke, there was the Checkered Flag, a fledgling beer joint on Lavaca owned by future Kerrville overseer Rod Kennedy and his partner Allen Damron. Timothy J. O'Connor, 78, of Mentor-on-the-Lake, passed away Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, at his residence. It was there in the former Chequered Flag folk club on Lavaca, that OConnor met new Austin resident Willie Nelson. He loved to watch him run things with the other dogs. This scene could change as drastically as it did from the Seventies to the Nineties within just a couple of years. Like Lance Armstrong, OConnor just couldnt walk away from the action, and suffered the consequences. REX/Shutterstock. Even today, promoters often walk away at the end of the year making as little as 5% of the door's receipts. The promoter shouldve retired in 2001, a move he contemplated in an. "I made it through," nods O'Connor, "but I came out weak.". Charlie is preceded in death by his parents Felix Durward . Tim, an avid music lover and skilled audio I know what I'm going to pay and that's it. and TRAPRS joined hands for this rescue operation, which was filmed by Amy and sharedonline. What started as benefit concerts for local Native Americans grew into something far bigger: star-studded concerts pairing artists with causes. What few of these people will do, however, is tell these stories on the record. Tim sold his share in 1990, too soon, and became an independent promoter, doing shows at City Coliseum and the Palmer. "The first chance he had back in Austin, he fired me," reveals O'Connor. 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. 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. One pulled out a knife, Tim pulled out a gun. "When Willie and I needed to deal with banks, we'd be sure to pull up in front with the bus," explains O'Connor. 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. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Bobbie is one of Tim O'Connor's dogs that is seeking a new home. "We all found ourselves together one day," says O'Connor. 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. 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. "He was apt to go off, which was a sign of the times, but we were always a little more laid back.". Still, it was best for Tim to leave town for a couple years. Forecast: Severe storms possible Thursday, KVUE remembers the 2018 Austin bombings, 5 years later, Timeline: Severe storms possible on Thursday, Austin Pets Alive! 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. 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFdr_xNcv9s. to the Family. His daughters, Amy and Paula Nelson, who are also OConnors goddaughters, partnered with Austin Pets Alive! "Winters are fairly cold in Colorado, so it became a strong collection approach.". The son of Charles and Gladys (Farrell) O'Connor was born on October 14, 1949 in Appleton. They were blessed with two children, Thomas Michael and Anita Loraine. He was born in Clinton County, Missouri, Nov . Although it's been mostly by his own design, the great irony of Tim O'Connor's career is that it took 30 years for his story to reach his customers -- the people of the city he loves catering to. "I'm known for being a guy that keeps a lot of things to myself. Skeptics, on the other hand, said concertgoers wouldn't drive that far for a show, particularly from North Austin. "That's where I learned to present the best show -- show by show. With income he'll only say was "not legal," O'Connor took ownership of 13 bungalows and a bar he named the Lift. But even after all that, OConnor refused to retire, working on a venue in Driftwood until that deal fell through. Even if you control a market and wind up making money, as the Ivory Tower collective did, it's often not the kind of money true empires are built on. But Castle Creek also hosted rock shows- Little Feat, Doug Kershaw, Doug Sahm, etc. ', "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. "Obviously, there's already a pattern developing," smiles O'Connor. They did. Mostly, the Opera House's vibe was supplied by Nelson's entourage, a constant presence at the door, in the crowd, backstage. 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. The other rooms he rented. Search Austin obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com. 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. We will miss you and love you always, MeMe. 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. But a couple disastrous decisions- rebuilding the Austin Music Hall in 2007 and the Backyard in 2010- cant put a lien on the memories he created in the years between the 1972 opening of Castle Creek and the 2008 closing of the original Backyard. RESCHEDULED FROM 2/2: Branzino, Shooks, Otis Wilkins. 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. Hospice Austin, or the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Austin, TX. James Timothy OConnor, his adopted name, came to Austin in 1972 to open Castle Creek with his Colorado buddy Doug Moyes. And yet, Attal says he's not waiting in the parking lot for O'Connor to show up with the paperwork. 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. But he had a special connection with the pit mix Bruiser, the oldest and scrappiest of the bunch. "I'm open to the possibility we can do something collectively that we can't on our own -- to protect the Austin market," reasons O'Connor. Let others know about your loved one's death. Whether or not it's renewed, SFX's power is intimidating. Guestbook Condolences Memorial Donation. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. 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.). He is preceded in death by his brother, Thomas OConnor, his foster-father, Billy Bowden and step mother, Kay OConnor. He also produces classy and smooth-running shows; as with the Backyard, acts that play Stubb's tell their agents they want to return. Through an introduction from Jim Ramsey, O'Connor was brought in to consult on a club called the River's Edge, located at Second and Nueces. It wasnt a bad wound and OConnor wasnt charged, but he had to tell his boss what went down. (Austin Pets Alive! 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. "As long as you're doing private parties, you know the money is there up front, and no matter who shows up, the check's clearing. "There was an incident in front of the Alliance Wagon Yard," states O'Connor. Join 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. Like Lance Armstrong, O'Connor just couldn't walk away from the action, and suffered the consequences. It was a messy end to an empire that raised the standard of professionalism in local concert presentations. 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, 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. He was a 1972 graduate of Barr Reeve High School. A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austins independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the communitys political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. What O'Connor didn't advance very well was peace between concert promoters and neighborhood groups. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. "I'll tell you the three things I never want you to be: cold, wet, or hungry.". "His Willie thing was a phenomenon," exclaims Wilson. 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." 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. His parents preceded him in death. (The plan had been to throw it in the high school swimming pool.) O'Connor is survived by his wife Sheila MacLurg O'Connor, his son Timothy O'Connor, and three stepsons. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. You? ", "I liked being in Bee Caves," O'Connor says. 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. Tim was in charge of crowd control, earning a reputation as a hard-ass with a soft heart. Bobbie was preceded in death by her husband, Curly O Connor in 1974; her son, Arvel Franklin; and her parents, Frank and Louise . He didnt have to say no anymore, just Why dont you run it by Tim?, Read more about Castle Creek, Spellmans, Alamo Lounge, emmajoes. "The battles I had with him at Pace over why we couldn't do a certain event always came back to the same thing, 'That's not what Austin's about,'" says Hauser. 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. 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. The promoter shouldve retired in 2001, a move he contemplated in an Austin Chronicle cover story that year. When O'Connor passed away from Hodgkin's lymphoma in July 2021 at age 76, the music community went into mourning. 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. During the same period, he rented Laguna Beach High's gym for $50 and threw a concert featuring a semi-popular local band. Recovering from triple-bypass surgery, OConnor opened up to writer Andy Langer in a rare Send In the Clowns manner. 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. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www . In the press release, APA! O'Connor is the first to admit the combination of Pace's deep pockets and his own long-term connections represents a serious hurdle for competing Austin venues. O'Connor, `` but I came out weak. `` as friends '' slogan became the Backyard 's Only! And scrappiest of the Alliance Wagon Yard, '' O'Connor says throw it the. 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