After graduation in 1963, he decided to tempt fate and stay in-state, attending Monterey Peninsula Junior College. 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. "The way to make money is to offer a drive-through viewing. AUSTIN, TexasAn integral part of Texas history, Tim OConnor, the creator of Austin Music Hall, Austin Opry House and more, passed away this summer of Hodgkins lymphoma. By 1994, Fowlers Two-Alarm Chili money was almost gone, so he and his partners closed their liberal hangout where youd see Gov. Or, he hints, he could wind up settling for less money to merely close the venue and sell the property outright if he can't find the right buyers. Seeing an opportunity, O'Connor began inviting them to play his bar in exchange for free lodging in the bungalows below. What nobody expected, Jones included, was O'Connor's recent invitation for Attal to begin booking La Zona Rosa. (APA!) O'Connor's contract with one of the country's largest promoters is due to expire in December. with all my heart. He was born October 20, 1941 in Clarksville, Texas. 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. After recuperating, O'Connor returned to staging benefits and working with Nelson. Timothy was born on April 23, 1969 in Fond Du Lac, WI to Timothy Patrick and Rhonda (Floyd) OConnor, I. Timothy attended school in Fond Du Lac and graduated from Rising Star High School in 1988. "Obviously, there's already a pattern developing," smiles O'Connor. Travis Heights wouldn't be free of O'Connor until 1990. So, Willie Nelsons family stepped in to help. Chris OConnor passed away at his home on Thursday, January 28, 2016. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. Tim was an aircraft mechanic and was employed by UPS for over 35 years. When Willies Picnic traffic backed up 11 miles after the parking lot was full, there were a lot of pissed-off Deadheads. Austin Owen O'Connor, 66 of Loogootee, was called home at 9:33 a.m. Friday, December 4, 2020 at Loogootee Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center. "Something clicked," says the 56-year-old promoter today. 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. Jim Ramsey booked both the Back Room and a healthy slate of Opera House shows. OConnors best decade was the 90s, when his Direct Events opened the Backyard in 93, the Austin Music Hall in 94 and revived La Zona Rosa in 97. "I'm dealing with the agents on both venues and putting the show where they'll be best presented. "I may not know him as well as Charlie [Jones], but I'm certain it's not the money that drives him anymore. He's been zealously drug- and alcohol-free ever since. Indeed, says Steve Hauser, if you're looking for O'Connor's legacy, look toward his lack of patience for part-timers and carpetbaggers. 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. And honestly, for me, it wasn't about money in the end. Nelson repeated. According to its website,Bobbieis just a little over two years old andYoyois about four months old. On the road, O'Connor got his hands dirty re-wiring sound systems and handling payouts, but his stint with Nelson was short-lived. "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. "There was an incident in front of the Alliance Wagon Yard," states O'Connor. 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. 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. He went on to receive and Associates Degree from TSTC. I remember certain nights with Steve Goodman or John Prine where I physically threw people out for talking. 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. 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. His parents preceded him in death. "I do think it's going to work to the consumer's benefit," reasons Attal, who now shares office space with Jones. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this . Twitter). 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. Charlie is preceded in death by his parents Felix Durward . Of course, I didn't really go anywhere. The tale of Tim O'Connor starts with a Baby Doe born in Great Bend, Kansas. 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. Willie had found his man! Then came the mall that swallowed our idyllic music setting. I wanna work your joint.'". "The town had just gone from zero to 65 clubs in 18 months," says Eddie Wilson of the city's early-Seventies live music boom. You, Lt. Weinberg? There was other drama as well: He'd been caught attempting to steal a WWI cannon from the town post office. Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. Example video title will go here for this video, AUSTIN, Texas Tim OConnor, owner of The Backyard, Austin Music Hall and other live music venues in Austin, died on July 30 from Hodgkin's lymphoma. "But I'm at a point in my career and life that whatever I have and haven't done, it feels right to get it out there. "It took until I lived there to understand how unique the city is. "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. Likewise, his exit strategy remains characteristically ambiguous. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. 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. 's website. Id sure like to play your joint, said Willie, who was growing out his hair and looking for new audiences. Can't keep up with happenings around town? We never called them 'benefits,' but we both knew the deal. "The screaming, the reputation, a lot of that was a front," asserts Gonzalez. 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. He sees it as a return to the free flow of information that he found in the Castle Creek days. I never heard him not paying an artist or cheating a partner. 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.. He didnt have to say no anymore, just Why dont you run it by Tim?, Read more about Castle Creek, Spellmans, Alamo Lounge, emmajoes. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. Let others know about your loved one's death. 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. 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. 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. I'll never forget Willie's answer. When OConnor passed away from Hodgkins lymphoma in July 2021 at age 76, the music community went into mourning. I felt lost, without a home, he told Chris Riemenschneider of the Statesman in 1996. According to the website, Bobbie Nelsonis just over 2 years old. At the time, the only viable concert venues for major touring talent were the City Coliseum, Palmer Auditorium, and the Erwin Center. "It's tough to build momentum as an independent anymore," explains O'Connor. But he had a special connection with the pit mix Bruiser, the oldest and scrappiest of the bunch. On my own, I'm doing one date, while they're buying 40. ', "I think somewhere along the way, people that know me labeled me as a guy that if I said I'd do it, I did it -- at all costs. "I've probably given plenty of people cause not to like me," admits O'Connor. 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. "Booking agents not only have more options, but they'll gladly work the rivalry," posits O'Connor. At this point, there's no timeframe on how long Attal and O'Connor will continue working together. worked with TRAPRS, a trapping, rescue and pet recovery service, for the rescue operation. What a mistake it was to tear down the Music Hall to build a new one that was worse than the old one. I stuck around Willie like bad penny.". cover story that year. Some still fear him. "Every other time we'd get behind in taxes or I'd miscalculate someway, I'd call Willie and he'd come in and play five dates. Once again, the good times didn't last -- local authorities asked him to leave town. Today, he owns three of the city's most popular venues: La Zona Rosa, the Austin Music Hall, and the Backyard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFdr_xNcv9s. Meanwhile, Backyard at Bee Cave is a development moving forward with plans to open a 3,500-capacity Live Oak Amphitheater in 2024. Please join us in Loving, Sharing and Memorializing Christopher Joseph O"Connor on this permanent online memorial. Defense from what? This scene could change as drastically as it did from the Seventies to the Nineties within just a couple of years. Asserts Gonzalez 'm dealing with the agents on both venues and putting the show where they 'll be presented... `` Something clicked, '' asserts Gonzalez it was to tear down the music Hall build... 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