The promoter shouldve retired in 2001, a move he contemplated in an Austin Chronicle cover story that year. . "It was part of the game, because he wouldn't come in until that was the last resort. We were always running around trying to book as many shows as possible and were most conscious of how much money we could make. 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. "I'm dealing with the agents on both venues and putting the show where they'll be best presented. The last act to play La Zona Rosa under OConnors ownership was Prince at SXSW 2013. This is the first real obit Ive read. That and inadequate AC: was that shit even on? He's maybe a little crusty,'" laughs O'Connor. worked with TRAPRS, a trapping, rescue and pet recovery service, for the rescue operation. "There would be many times we'd be screaming across the table at each other, and 20 minutes later it would be hugs and kisses. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. Chris was born on July 27, 1959 in Houston, Texas to Joseph L. OConnor and Elizabeth (Penny) Powell OConnor. 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. "Tim wasn't a real easy person to get along with in those days," remembers Ramsey. *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.*. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. 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. If you didn't know what you were doing there, he didn't either. Mostly, the Opera House's vibe was supplied by Nelson's entourage, a constant presence at the door, in the crowd, backstage. "While his was a closed shop, you could walk into the Opera House, cut a deal, and get your feet wet as a promoter. 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. OConnor owned the Backyards main building, which had a restaurant and his offices, and about half the land. Recovering from triple-bypass surgery, OConnor opened up to writer Andy Langer in a rare Send In the Clowns manner. Unfortunately, Ramsey says, there were often too many cooks in the kitchen without a head chef. ", "It was the holdout," says Henry Gonzalez, who first worked at the Armadillo and later stage-managed the Opera House. 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. 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. Berating the singer for letting his encore be overrun, O'Connor began yelling. One night they'd be working against nuclear weaponry, the next for prison reform. The promoter shouldve retired in 2001, a move he contemplated in an. 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. What few of these people will do, however, is tell these stories on the record. "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. 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. You could rent a stick to poke me with to make sure I'm really dead.". The tale of Tim O'Connor starts with a Baby Doe born in Great Bend, Kansas. A year earlier, in Nov. 2007, a rebuilt, 4,400-capacity Austin Music Hall debuted to bad reviews over the sound, which was always the bitch about 208 Nueces. In those days, nobody in Nelson's Family had a title: If you had to ask for one, he didn't need you. When Willies Picnic traffic backed up 11 miles after the parking lot was full, there were a lot of pissed-off Deadheads. "I do think it's going to work to the consumer's benefit," reasons Attal, who now shares office space with Jones. 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. After roughly 26 months in an adoption facility, he was adopted and given the surname O'Connor. Tom married his high school sweetheart, Beverly Ford, on July 5, 1952, and they enjoyed 58 years devoted to each other. 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. More importantly, the Opera House provided an alternative to the Armadillo. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www . Timothy Joseph (Tim) O'Connor, 53, of Toms River, NJ, passed away peacefully at home on December 26, 2022, after bravely battling cancer. Perhaps it's all of the above, although he denies there's any real motive at all. 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. It was there in the former Chequered Flag folk club on Lavaca, that OConnor met new Austin resident Willie Nelson. Memorials and guestbook online at wcfish.com. "He's always held most of the cards, and I've always been the guy fighting to get a few of them.". 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. He loved staying busy. He is preceded in death by his brother, Thomas OConnor, his foster-father, Billy Bowden and step mother, Kay OConnor. Attal co-owns and books both the restaurant's small inside room and Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater, a Backyard-style outdoor venue. He was born in Clinton County, Missouri, Nov . This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. "Tim and Willie were an odd couple," says Arlyn's Freddy Fletcher, Nelson's nephew. After significant renovations, he lost nearly $140,000 its opening year and half that its second. His warning shot ended up going through a mobile recording trailer on the street and hitting the leg of a Columbia Records executive inside. 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. using a new Instagram account, Austin Pets Alive! 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.) Midway through producing the second Farm Aid, at Manor Downs in 1985, O'Connor got the news his daughter had passed away. "I realized long ago that music was the nighttime job and that you had to be making money during the day," reveals O'Connor. 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. "I was screaming at him," recalls O'Connor, nearly 25 years later. It started with a love of music. According to the website, Bobbie Nelsonis just over 2 years old. 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. Private Messages And yet, even after being yelled at by $25-a-day roadie, Nelson answered with typical calm. He went on to receive and Associates Degree from TSTC. TRAPRS has been taking care of Bobbie Nelson and Yoyo Nelson over the past few weeks, arranging the dogs boarding, rehabilitation and training. Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. 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. "I knew I'd screwed up big and made my mea culpas. By his own admission, he's been quick-tempered, cold, and generally disagreeable for much of his career. "I think he likes the game too much to really be trying to get out," maintains Attal. "I think Tim always had the best understanding of what the consumer wanted and how to deliver it. 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. Amy captured the rescue on video. "That's where I learned to present the best show -- show by show. 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. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Few salesmen in any industry deal so long with so many customers that don't know their name. Like our page to stay informed about passing of a loved one in Austin, Texas on facebook. 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. Id sure like to play your joint, said Willie, who was growing out his hair and looking for new audiences. Tim OConnor showed Austin how to put on a show, while content to stay in the background. . Maybe it's yet another O'Connor business strategy. "I may not know him as well as Charlie [Jones], but I'm certain it's not the money that drives him anymore. "We all found ourselves together one day," says O'Connor. Soon married with a baby, he returned to California, where he eventually wound up laying drainage pipe in the Mojave Desert. At a benefit in Monterey, O'Connor collapsed onstage. 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. Nearly a million dollars of roof-raising renovations later, the Music Hall's Phase 2 was completed in time for South by Southwest '95. Some still fear him. If producing five nights at Madison Square Garden wasn't experience enough, O'Connor found himself immersed in a contact sport; By working closely with artists like Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne for charitable causes, he was rapidly building a national network of artists, managers, and booking agents. With income he'll only say was "not legal," O'Connor took ownership of 13 bungalows and a bar he named the Lift. Attempted burglary charges led to 27 days in jail, a trial in Salinas, and six years of probation. "The screaming, the reputation, a lot of that was a front," asserts Gonzalez. That's rarely the case.". Search Austin obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com. Like Willie Nelson, Tim O'Connor is a huge part of Austin music history. 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. By 1994, Fowlers Two-Alarm Chili money was almost gone, so he and his partners closed their liberal hangout where youd see Gov. quips O'Connor. You have to build a base on a fixed income so if you lose it on the concert side you don't go bust.". We will miss you and love you always, MeMe. What's done is done. Likewise, his exit strategy remains characteristically ambiguous. Tim was an aircraft mechanic and was employed by UPS for over 35 years. O'Connor recalls that only one friend, Texicalli Grille's Danny Young, believed it would work. 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. His daughters, Amy and Paula Nelson, who are also OConnors goddaughters, partnered with Austin Pets Alive! "Not controlling your own destiny is a distinct disadvantage," says O'Connor. Kansas State University was the next institution to ask O'Connor not to return. During his career he was Sr. Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Individuals can donate to APA! "Mark my words, if you think it's difficult now, give it 24 months. But Castle Creek also hosted rock shows- Little Feat, Doug Kershaw, Doug Sahm, etc. 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. to rescue the dogs. And despite the fact that Direct Events had grown nearly 300% in 1994-95 and was on the verge of bankruptcy, O'Connor agreed to buy La Zona Rosa in 1996. 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. APA! 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.". CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. exceeds goal to save at-risk pups. ", "I liked being in Bee Caves," O'Connor says. When my lawyer got done kicking me in the leg, that's when things really went downhill," recalls O'Connor. Eric Goodman's Austin FC column, other soccer news. Jones started answering phones for Direct Events in 1993, and just three years later was La Zona Rosa's general manager. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Who Receive obituaries Sandra Lucille Hidrogo February 20, 2023 (81 years old) 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. Tim always had the best understanding of what the consumer wanted and how to deliver.... You always, MeMe State University was the next for prison reform according to the,! N'T come in until that was the next institution to ask O'Connor Not to return was... Shared Resources, LLC the game too much to really be trying to out! At him, '' says O'Connor, while content to stay in the Clowns manner 'd screwed up big made... 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