That O'Connor quickly became known as the best "operator" in town paid off quickly. "The screaming, the reputation, a lot of that was a front," asserts Gonzalez. We were always running around trying to book as many shows as possible and were most conscious of how much money we could make. Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. And yet, Attal says he's not waiting in the parking lot for O'Connor to show up with the paperwork. I might be tattered and torn up, and a lot of people may be lying behind me, but my attitude is, if you're not helping, get out of the way. 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. 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. "'I think I'm going to let you negotiate all my contracts with CBS.'". O'Connor may have entered the Nineties knee-deep in debt to the IRS, but at least the Eighties were behind him. ", "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. Recovering from triple-bypass surgery, OConnor opened up to writer Andy Langer in a rare Send In the Clowns manner. Born Sept. 23, 1943, in San Bernadino, Calif., he had been a . What's done is done. View The Obituary For Christopher Joseph O"Connor. 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. Unfortunately, Ramsey says, there were often too many cooks in the kitchen without a head chef. The tale of Tim O'Connor starts with a Baby Doe born in Great Bend, Kansas. He was born October 20, 1941 in Clarksville, Texas. But Castle Creek also hosted rock shows- Little Feat, Doug Kershaw, Doug Sahm, etc. He knew that you didn't always have to make money, that you have to give great product. I have very little patience for people that fool around in this business or just want to make a buck.". Whether or not it's renewed, SFX's power is intimidating. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. On the road, O'Connor got his hands dirty re-wiring sound systems and handling payouts, but his stint with Nelson was short-lived. We can help. I'd made concessions to the tune of some serious dollars.". Chris was preceded in death by his father Joseph L. OConnor. Even worse were the lawsuits from unpaid contractors and architects that began piling up against OConnor and Direct Events. Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. 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. On deadline. Although O'Connor did some settling in before utilizing similarly strong-arm tactics in Austin, his arrival was still relatively splashy. "I think Tim always had the best understanding of what the consumer wanted and how to deliver it. Tim OConnor showed Austin how to put on a show, while content to stay in the background. "Do I want to try and change my image? Its been renovated once again and is currently renting out for private parties. He was king of the roadshow in town for a quarter century, from 1977 until his protege Charlie Jones and Charles Attal took over in 2002 with the Austin City Limits Music Festival and aggressive bookings all over town. 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. Sign up for service and obituary updates. To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of His mission was always to bring entertainment for Austin, not bring Austin entertainment just because it worked in Houston or Dallas. There was a time when Tim O'Connor didn't have to worry keeping the Opera House's doors open. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. Meanwhile, Backyard at Bee Cave is a development moving forward with plans to open a 3,500-capacity Live Oak Amphitheater in 2024. "He's always held most of the cards, and I've always been the guy fighting to get a few of them.". 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. OBITUARY Maureen Margaret O'Connor . Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. Maldonado Construction had the biggest claim- $334,000 for work building detention ponds and roads and supplying utilities at the new Backyard. 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. "We had a lot of fun, a lot of drinking," says O'Connor, who ran for his freshman class vice-presidency and won. The son of Charles and Gladys (Farrell) O'Connor was born on October 14, 1949 in Appleton. Like our page to stay informed about passing of a loved one in Austin, Texas on facebook. This was one of those nights. 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. Search Austin obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com. By 1994, Fowlers Two-Alarm Chili money was almost gone, so he and his partners closed their liberal hangout where youd see Gov. Charles "Charlie" M. McLemore 81, passed away Tuesday February 21, 2023. Both are now available for adoption. When OConnor bought the building at 208 Nueces in Sept. 1994, the Austin Music Hall was its fourth venue that year. and yea.the gun.timc/s, This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. 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. He was of the Catholic Faith. Unfortunately, O'Connor almost didn't get an opportunity to use his new Rolodex entries. 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. He grew up in Jackson, NJ, and attended Jackson Memorial High School, followed by Belmont Abbey College . Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. That venue closed after Direct Events filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Aug. 2013, with debts of $3.5 million and assets of zero. By sixth grade,. He was presented IBM Means Service Awards in both fields, in Recognition for Outstanding Accomplishments in Service. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this . Customer Engineer Specialist and Sr. you are the only one i can imagine to put all this into words of love and reality and yesteryear succinctly and soufully. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. You are invited to a reception following the graveside service at the funeral home. Thomas Morton O'Connor, 78, passed from this life on Oct. 7, 2010 in Austin, TX. Travis Heights wouldn't be free of O'Connor until 1990. By his own admission, he's been quick-tempered, cold, and generally disagreeable for much of his career. Weed Corley Fish Funeral Homes and Cremation Services, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. His parents preceded him in death. They did him one better, allowing him to stay in the garage apartment of their new house. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. O'Connor's fuse may be longer these days, but one crossed signal could end the deal. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. "We had the town in a headlock," Ramsey says. Not only did it allow Direct Events to lure agents and acts with the promise that they could move through their ranks, it kept the overall business operating 12 months a year, not just the seven months it was safe to stage shows at the Backyard. "I think a fair amount of folks will come," he says. 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. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www . It was there in the former Chequered Flag folk club on Lavaca, that OConnor met new Austin resident Willie Nelson. . Great story Stu, Mike F. is a great soulful singer! Who's gonna do it? "I don't know if you could quite call us enemies," Attal demurs. Two dogs, Bobbie and Yoyo, remain. 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. What Jones learned from OConnors example is that you do what you say you will. It just so happened it was my stray bullet.". On the day Tim died and they took him away, Bruiser chased the car for miles. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. 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. And if you're always looking out for your town and its fans, look what happens. 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. By the time the problem got to him, his job was to play the heavy.". We never called them 'benefits,' but we both knew the deal. 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. That would be good enough for me.". He didnt have to say no anymore, just Why dont you run it by Tim?, Read more about Castle Creek, Spellmans, Alamo Lounge, emmajoes. Download it here. starts petition, says its location is in jeopardy, Justin Theroux is supporting Austin Pets Alive! 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. ", 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. After roughly 26 months in an adoption facility, he was adopted and given the surname O'Connor. Guestbook Condolences Memorial Donation. Mostly, the Opera House's vibe was supplied by Nelson's entourage, a constant presence at the door, in the crowd, backstage. He was born on May 19, 1954 to the late Ernest Joseph and Rose Mary (Smith) O'Connor. In those days, nobody in Nelson's Family had a title: If you had to ask for one, he didn't need you. 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. What started as benefit concerts for local Native Americans grew into something far bigger: star-studded concerts pairing artists with causes. Overestimating access and parking capabilities also marred the second Backyard in Bee Cave, about a mile west of the original. Support the free press, so we can support Austin. "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.". 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. 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. At the time, the only viable concert venues for major touring talent were the City Coliseum, Palmer Auditorium, and the Erwin Center. Burial will follow in Assumption Cemetery. 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. Timothy James O'Connor, 65, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, April 16, 2015 with his family by his side. On October 14, 1949 in Appleton, share a photo the son of Charles and Gladys Farrell. Home, Do Not Sell or share a story or upload tim o'connor obituary austin tx photo or video to! Utilities at the Funeral Home, Do Not Sell or share a story upload... 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