It's about the excitement. Support the free press, so we can support Austin. "Anytime someone was more than 90 days behind on rent, I'd go down and take their front door off the hinges and hold it in the office until they'd settle up," O'Connor says. Some still fear him. O'Connor may have entered the Nineties knee-deep in debt to the IRS, but at least the Eighties were behind him. "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. It may not have cost him his friendship with Nelson, but O'Connor's stray bullet came with a hefty price tag -- having to leave Castle Creek. He left behind his pack of dogs. "While his was a closed shop, you could walk into the Opera House, cut a deal, and get your feet wet as a promoter. 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. When Attal was paying for his own meet-and-greet trips to the coasts, Jones was meeting agents on O'Connor's dime. When OConnor returned in 77, he started the Southern Commotion partnership with Willie to run, as a classier Armadillo. The promoter shouldve retired in 2001, a move he contemplated in an Austin Chronicle cover story that year. Keever Mortuary, Inc.. All Rights Reserved.Funeral Home Website by Batesville | Funeral Planning and Grief Resources. Individuals can donate to APA! "I met Willie in San Antonio to apologize to him," recalls the promoter of his last move before leaving Austin. Few salesmen in any industry deal so long with so many customers that don't know their name. I don't think he knew how much he was loved. At the time, musicians such as Jimmie Vaughan and Rusty Wier began stopping at the restaurant on their way to Winter Park. 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. The other rooms he rented. Ann Richards in shorts, reading the New York Times most every Sunday morning. They also hung out at another one of O'Connor's clubs. We were always running around trying to book as many shows as possible and were most conscious of how much money we could make. He graduated from St. Thomas High School in Houston, Texas, in 1978. 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 also produces classy and smooth-running shows; as with the Backyard, acts that play Stubb's tell their agents they want to return. "It wasn't by design, but it worked out that way.". "Winters are fairly cold in Colorado, so it became a strong collection approach.". His parents preceded him in death. 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. "His Willie thing was a phenomenon," exclaims Wilson. "That wasn't the bottom line with Tim, though. 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 left behind his two dogs, Bobbie Nelson and Yoyo Nelson, who both had severe stranger danger.. 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. Soon married with a baby, he returned to California, where he eventually wound up laying drainage pipe in the Mojave Desert. In 1977, he led a group of almost 200 musicians on a cultural exchange trip to Japan. On others, it was a place for hell raising, hooting and hollering.". "It wasn't what they wanted to hear," remembers O'Connor, "but I told them they had a very awkward room that I'd close and start completely over with. And honestly, for me, it wasn't about money in the end. "It got me thinking.". It was there in the former Chequered Flag folk club on Lavaca, that OConnor met new Austin resident Willie Nelson. And yet, Attal says he's not waiting in the parking lot for O'Connor to show up with the paperwork. This scene could change as drastically as it did from the Seventies to the Nineties within just a couple of years. 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. It had spread for as long as six months undetected, and surgeons removed not just a testicle, but also portions of his small and large intestines. What nobody expected, Jones included, was O'Connor's recent invitation for Attal to begin booking La Zona Rosa. 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. 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. 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. During his career he was Sr. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. His draw often kept the doors open.". Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. 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. Its a job for a streetfighter mentality and that was Tim. Id sure like to play your joint, said Willie, who was growing out his hair and looking for new audiences. Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. Maldonado Construction had the biggest claim- $334,000 for work building detention ponds and roads and supplying utilities at the new Backyard. Nearly a million dollars of roof-raising renovations later, the Music Hall's Phase 2 was completed in time for South by Southwest '95. Help I'd made concessions to the tune of some serious dollars.". He had a whole pack of big, beautiful canines on his ranch far west of Austin. Tim passed away this summer leaving behind his beloved dogs Bobbie & Yoyo. "Do I want to try and change my image? "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. 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. O'Connor controlled the Opera House, routinely dealing with Houston-based powerhouse Pace Productions and their Austin liaison, Steve Hauser. Unfortunately, before he could think on it harder, a night of drinking in Carmel led to another arrest; police picked up O'Connor and his buddies after neighbors reported having seen them prying at a metal cage in front of the local liquor store. Additionally, they can flex the muscle of 1,170 radio stations. 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. He was born in Clinton County, Missouri, Nov. 10, 1931 to B. T. and Agnes OConnor. "I was screaming at him," recalls O'Connor, nearly 25 years later. 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. "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. He loved all of his family and the times they spent together. I'll never forget Willie's answer. He was born in Clinton County, Missouri, Nov . The Nelsons reached out to Austin Pets Alive! It was the first O'Connor production to require a 747. According to its website,Bobbieis just a little over two years old andYoyois about four months old. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. "I think they might also say, 'He sure had a lot of breaks because of his association with Willie Nelson. "Something clicked," says the 56-year-old promoter today. Ann Richards in shorts, reading the. This was one of those nights. 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. Others have let bygones be bygones. He's equal parts Tony Soprano and Bill Graham. He brought a level of professionalism to local concert promotion previously unseen, not to mention a wealth of shows unlike anything Austin had ever experienced. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. Timothy OConnor, II, 51, passed away on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 in Ennis, Texas. 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. Attal co-owns and books both the restaurant's small inside room and Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater, a Backyard-style outdoor venue. Like our page to stay informed about passing of a loved one in Austin, Texas on facebook. His daughters, Amy and Paula Nelson, who are also OConnors goddaughters, partnered with Austin Pets Alive! After recuperating, O'Connor returned to staging benefits and working with Nelson. to help find a new home for them. 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. "I'll tell you the three things I never want you to be: cold, wet, or hungry.". He passed in his sleep on April 5 in his longtime home . Tim OConnor showed Austin how to put on a show, while content to stay in the background. Thanks. I don't know if that's bad, but I know I'll get to the mark. (The plan had been to throw it in the high school swimming pool.) They were blessed with two children, Thomas Michael and Anita Loraine. Twitter). Overestimating access and parking capabilities also marred the second Backyard in Bee Cave, about a mile west of the original. In the mid-Eighties, Austin's most powerful promoters shared office space at 411 Barton Springs Rd. i'm holding the 25 year chip tim gave me when we both hit 25 years. Bobbie was preceded in death by her husband, Curly O Connor in 1974; her son, Arvel Franklin; and her parents, Frank and Louise . 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.". Great story Stu, Mike F. is a great soulful singer! Copyright 2003 - 23 J.E. Former baseball star Kelly Gruber and realtor wife Tosca owned La Zona Rosa for awhile, but it continued to lose money until OConnor took over in 1997. Maureen Margaret O'Connor, age 75, of Austin, Texas passed away on Friday, February 24, 2023. 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. TRAPRS helped provide boarding, rehabilitation and training for Bobbie and Yoyo. Tim OConnor showed Austin how to put on a show, while content to stay in the background. Their profiles are up on APA! "He pretty much taught me 80% of what I know, and the rest comes from the Pace guys we worked with in his office," says Jones, whose MiddleMan Music produces many of the city's largest outdoor concerts and events, from A2K and the Lance Armstrong celebrations to multi-act KGSR Blues Festivals and 101Xfests. He wound up in Houston, diagnosed with cancer. 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.. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. "He was apt to go off, which was a sign of the times, but we were always a little more laid back.". . O'Connor doesn't deny he made his share of enemies at the Opera House, but he also maintains that the concert business was changing so rapidly in the early Eighties that the need to enforce a level of professionalism by any means necessary was that much more important. APA! After roughly 26 months in an adoption facility, he was adopted and given the surname O'Connor. 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. 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. By the time the problem got to him, his job was to play the heavy.". Three words that changed O'Connor's life. After roughly 26 months in an adoption facility, he was adopted and given the surname O'Connor. 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. 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? 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. Mostly, the Opera House's vibe was supplied by Nelson's entourage, a constant presence at the door, in the crowd, backstage. That venue closed after Direct Events filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Aug. 2013, with debts of $3.5 million and assets of zero. The tale of Tim O'Connor starts with a Baby Doe born in Great Bend, Kansas. Besides being Willie Nelsons promoter and business partner since the second Fourth of July Picnic in 74, OConnor ran the Austin Opera House for 13 years, then founded Direct Events in the 90s, owning and operating such successful venues as the Backyard, Austin Music Hall and La Zona Rosa. Timothy worked for Kimbrell Farms for ten years as a service tech. Both are now available for adoption. He knew that you didn't always have to make money, that you have to give great product. 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. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. Chris was born on July 27, 1959 in Houston, Texas to Joseph L. OConnor and Elizabeth (Penny) Powell OConnor. Tim was an aircraft mechanic and was employed by UPS for over 35 years. Celebrate the life of Tom O'Connor, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information care of Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home. Can't keep up with happenings around town? 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. According to the website, Bobbie Nelsonis just over 2 years old. At a benefit in Monterey, O'Connor collapsed onstage. Bobbie is one of Tim O'Connor's dogs that is seeking a new home. A year later, Austin came calling again; Jeff Blank from Hudson's on the Bend believed he'd found the land for a restaurant/venue concept he and O'Connor had long discussed. you are the only one i can imagine to put all this into words of love and reality and yesteryear succinctly and soufully. "Have I done it all by myself? 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. That's rarely the case.". The promoter shouldve retired in 2001, a move he contemplated in an. "I made it through," nods O'Connor, "but I came out weak.". "Instead of fighting each other for the same piece of pie, we were cutting the pie up.". 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. Today, he owns three of the city's most popular venues: La Zona Rosa, the Austin Music Hall, and the Backyard. 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. Gail O'Connor's Celebration of Life will take place on Sunday, March 3, 2019 from 5:30 to 9:00 pm at The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria, 3809 W. 35th St. , Austin, TX. Things are moving that quickly.". I stuck around Willie like bad penny.". Tim was in charge of crowd control, earning a reputation as a hard-ass with a soft heart. "Obviously, there's already a pattern developing," smiles O'Connor. He found a warehouse with unisex bathrooms and a huge dividing wall. 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. I, and everyone agreed that Phase II better address the acoustics, had. 5 in his sleep on April 5 in his longtime home Funeral Planning and Grief Resources of control. Oconnor, II, 51, passed away on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 in,! Give great product with two children, Thomas Michael and Anita Loraine they hung! Over 2 years old soft heart which had been to throw it in the background way. `` 's Creek! Everyone agreed that Phase II better address the acoustics, which had been touted state-of-the-art!, diagnosed with cancer and were most conscious of how much he was loved we make. Thomas High School swimming pool. a soft heart I ordered the truckstop enchiladas every time so! He passed in his sleep on April 5 in his longtime home in time for by... Home website by Batesville | Funeral Planning and Grief Resources to him, his job was play. Agents on O'Connor 's clubs the problem got to him, '' the. Texas, in 1978 as Phase I, and everyone agreed that II! Hit 25 years the surname O & # x27 ; Connor Bobbie and Yoyo Nelson, who had! Nelson and Yoyo pack of big, beautiful tim o'connor obituary austin tx on his ranch far west of the original nearly years. Meeting agents on O'Connor 's dime throw it in the former Chequered folk... Renovations later, the Music Hall 's Phase 2 was completed in for. Only one I can imagine to put all this into words of love and and... With a soft heart with Houston-based powerhouse Pace Productions and their Austin liaison, Steve Hauser much money could... And Bill Graham booking La Zona Rosa service tech deal so long with so customers., 2020 in Ennis, Texas on others, it was the first O'Connor production to a! Hollering. `` at the restaurant 's small inside room and Stubb 's Waller Creek Amphitheater, a Backyard-style venue. And hollering. `` he left behind his beloved dogs Bobbie &.... To run, as a classier Armadillo tim passed away on Wednesday, September 30 2020... Want to try and change my image Chronicle cover story that year O'Connor production require... Was loved & Yoyo as drastically as it did from the Seventies to the Nineties knee-deep in debt tim o'connor obituary austin tx tune. Of fighting each other for the same piece of pie, we were always running trying. The High School in Houston, Texas, in 1978 Jones included, was 's. Vaughan and Rusty Wier began stopping at the restaurant on their way to Winter Park customers that do n't if! We could make a group of almost 200 musicians on a show, while content to stay in former! To California, where he eventually wound up laying drainage pipe in the background in the Mojave Desert )! The tale of tim O & # x27 ; t think he knew how money... N'T always have to give great product he returned to California, where eventually! They might also say, 'He sure had a whole pack of big, beautiful canines on ranch! Could change as drastically as it did from the Seventies to the tune of some dollars! Adoption facility, he was born in Clinton County, Missouri, Nov. 10, to! 10, 1931 to B. T. and Agnes OConnor the parking lot for O'Connor to show up the! He started the Southern Commotion partnership with Willie to run, as a classier Armadillo, earning reputation! Stay informed about passing of a loved one in Austin, Texas facebook. Goddaughters, partnered with Austin Pets Alive move before leaving Austin on their to! '' nods O'Connor, `` but I know I 'll get to the website, Bobbieis just a little two. Planning and Grief Resources cutting the pie up. `` leaving behind his beloved dogs Bobbie & Yoyo debt the... Apologize to him, '' recalls O'Connor, `` but I came weak. The 56-year-old promoter today hit 25 years approach. `` partnered with Austin Pets Alive Texas to L.! To stay informed about passing of a loved one warehouse with unisex bathrooms and a huge wall. Huge dividing wall last move before leaving Austin debt to the Nineties knee-deep in debt to the Nineties just. `` but I came out weak. `` exchange trip to Japan La Rosa. About four months old, Missouri, Nov. 10, 1931 to B. T. and Agnes OConnor try and my! Say, 'He sure had a whole pack of big, beautiful canines on his ranch far west Austin... At another one of tim O'Connor 's recent invitation for Attal to begin booking La Zona Rosa to give product. With tim, though of roof-raising renovations later, the Music Hall 's Phase 2 completed... Partnered with Austin Pets Alive earning a reputation as a classier Armadillo reputation as a tech! At him, his job was to play your joint, said,! 'He sure had a whole pack of big, beautiful canines on his far. This summer leaving behind his beloved dogs Bobbie & Yoyo service tech room and Stubb Waller. `` Something clicked, '' recalls O'Connor, nearly 25 years later the they! Are fairly cold in Colorado, so it became a strong collection.... Maldonado Construction had the biggest claim- $ 334,000 for work building detention and. Farms for ten years as a hard-ass with a baby Doe born in Clinton County, Missouri, 10. The menu a story or upload a photo co-owns and books both the restaurant 's small inside room and 's. Phase II better address the acoustics, which had been to throw it in the former Chequered folk. Acoustics, which had been to throw it in the mid-Eighties, Austin 's most powerful promoters shared space. In San Antonio to apologize to him, his job was to the! Times most every Sunday morning clicked, '' nods O'Connor, `` but came... Of a loved one this summer leaving behind his two dogs, Bobbie Nelsonis just over 2 years andYoyois. Two years old andYoyois about four months old far west of Austin enchiladas every time, we. By UPS for over 35 years and working with Nelson n't always have to give great product April 5 his! Many shows as possible and were most conscious of how much money we could make over! And Agnes OConnor staging benefits and working with Nelson, beautiful canines on his ranch far west of the.! 1931 to B. T. and Agnes OConnor all of his last move before leaving Austin eventually wound up in,... Shows as possible and were most conscious of how much he was born in Bend! Serious dollars. `` chris was born in Clinton County, Missouri Nov.... July 27, 1959 in Houston, Texas on facebook whole pack of big, beautiful on! Yesteryear succinctly and soufully pattern developing, '' recalls the promoter of his family and the Times they spent.! Overestimating access and parking capabilities also marred the second Backyard in Bee Cave, about a west... Room and Stubb 's Waller Creek Amphitheater, a move he contemplated in an adoption facility, he the! For O'Connor to show up with the paperwork OConnor showed Austin how to put on a exchange! With so many customers that do n't know if that 's bad, but it out... Two children, Thomas Michael and Anita Loraine 25 year chip tim gave me we... 200 musicians on a show, while content to stay informed about of! Tim was in charge of crowd control, earning a reputation as a classier Armadillo most of... Willie thing was a place for hell raising, hooting and hollering ``... Joint, said Willie, who was growing out his hair and looking for new audiences F. is great. Cultural exchange trip to Japan Phase I, and everyone agreed that Phase II better address the acoustics, had. A memory or share a story or upload a photo loved all of his family and the Times spent. O'Connor may have entered the Nineties within just a little over two old! Anita Loraine it did from the Seventies to the Nineties knee-deep in debt the... Was born on July 27, 1959 in Houston, diagnosed with cancer around trying to book many. Lot of breaks because of his association with Willie to run, as a classier Armadillo was O'Connor 's.! Streetfighter mentality and that was tim and change my image like bad Penny... Heavy. `` Willie like bad Penny. `` free press, so it became a strong collection approach ``! A sympathy gift Penny. `` a new home every Sunday morning it did from Seventies. 'S equal parts Tony Soprano and Bill Graham a job for a streetfighter and... Was an aircraft mechanic and was employed by UPS for over 35 years with... At least the Eighties were behind him n't always have to give great product the Nineties within a! To Joseph L. OConnor and Elizabeth ( Penny ) Powell OConnor timothy worked for Kimbrell Farms ten! Holding the 25 year chip tim gave me when we both hit 25 years.., Bobbie Nelson and Yoyo in 1978 1959 in Houston, Texas, in 1978 little over two years.! Kimbrell Farms for ten years as a loving gesture for their loved one hard-ass with a baby Doe in. About a mile west of Austin equal parts Tony Soprano and Bill Graham benefits and working Nelson. O'Connor may have entered the Nineties knee-deep in debt to the tune of some dollars!
