Paul O' Neill (Savatage) Dead at 61????

[Prog Snob]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO   

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/trans-siberian-orchestra-creator-paul-oneill-dies-at-61/

[MirrorMask]

Yeah, just posted it in the Savatage thread as well. HUGE bummer and very sad and unfair news. 

TSO's machine of course will go on but he was the mastermind, the producer and sole lyricist, it's a tragedy not only on the personal level for his family, but for the future of the band as well.

[Art]

Very sad news. 

RIP

[SoundscapeMN]

Rest in Peace Paul.

I'm sure he's jamming up in heaven with Criss now.

[wolfking]

Fuck.......just.......fuck.

RIP.  So young, too damn young.

[Samsara]

Awful. May he rest in peace. Thankful for all the music.

[Stadler]

That's a real bummer. Do we know what the "chronic illness" was? 

[Grappler]

I saw that last night on Facebook and was shocked.  I have a guess or two about what condition he could have had, but since it's just a guess I'll keep it to myself.  The guy was a complete genius.  He wrote some incredible songs, put together a massive touring group that brought rock and heavy metal into arenas in front of fans that never would have been interested in it otherwise, and was by far the most charitable and kind person in the industry, by what I've read and seen about him.

Thanks for all of the music Paul!   

[hefdaddy42]

RIP

[Prog Snob]

I hate to speculate but I thought I remember hearing something in the media a year or two ago about what he had...I could be wrong. Where's our Savatage encyclopedia?

[Imaginos]

Seems like a fitting time to finally revisit Streets. I bought it years ago and it never did much for me but I've been meaning to revisit it for a while.

I'd forgotten he produced Aerosmith's Classics Live albums too. I actually really enjoy both of those albums

RIP

[The Dark Master]

Damn, for once I find myself at a loss for words.

It should go without saying that Paul was instrumental in transforming Savatage from one of countless young bands with a lot of talent into one of the greatest bands of all time.  All of the albums they made with him were masterpieces, and the combination of his lyrics and concepts with Jon's songwriting genius and the virtuosity of Criss and all the musicians that were in Savatage between 1987 and 2001 was pure magic.  It was truly unfair that he never got the satisfaction of seeing Savatage break big, despite all that he put into the band, but with TSO he and the guys in Savatage got the success they deserved, and continued to make fantastic records while at the same time developing a live reputation that was second to none.  Without Paul, Savatage would have broken up in 1986 and TSO never would have happened.  The world of metal truly owes Paul O'Neill a massive debt.

I wonder how far along TSO are in recording their next three albums.  While I'm certain all the music and lyrics were written, I cannot imagine that it will be easy for Jon, Bob and Al to lead that band in completing those records.  I have no doubt they will be finished, though, because I am certain Paul would want TSO to move on and finish what they had started, even if it is without him behind the mixing board.

I'll post some more later after the shock had worn off, but for now, I really just don't know what else to say.  Paul was a brilliant songwriter, and the music he crafted with TSO and Savatage will live on forever.

 

[bl5150]

Very sad 

I can't say that I ever really got on board with TSO and I took a bit less interest in the post-Criss Savatage albums but I was a MASSIVE fan of Savatage in the HOtMK - Edge Of Thorns era .   Gutter Ballet was No 5 in my DTF Top 50 Albums and much of the big step up in that era was no doubt Paul's influence.

[MirrorMask]

Brilliantly put Dark Master! he was so important for Savatage and he was instrumental in raising the band, and then TSO, to the heights they attained. I'm thinking too about TSO's future, I assume too they will complete all the recordings if only to honor is memory, but damn, it won't be the same without him.

[The Dark Master]

So no official word yet on the future of TSO and Savatage in the wake of Paul's passing, but Chris Caffery posted this on the Savatage facebook page:

When I was a teenager I used to hang out in the rock 'n' roll club scene of New York City. There was a club called L'Amour East that used to have a lot of national acts and I would pretty much go see every one! There was always this one guy there. I didn't know who he was but he was always there. He had long hair and would wander around in a leather jacket with a white shirt. He seemed pretty important, he wasn't in the bands but he was always with the bands. Later in the year when I was 17 I was hanging out at a club called Nirvana in New York City. I had met a couple different people that were managed by a company called Contemporary Communications. This company was formerly known as Leber & Krebs.They had managed just about every major rock 'n' roll band on the planet at the time. One of the people I ran into was the late great Allan Fryer from the band Heaven. I wound up getting an audition with the band and eventually got the gig. I remember walking into the offices of Contemporary Communications for the first time. All of a sudden I see that guy from the club! It was Mr. Paul Oneill. Paul managed and produced Heaven and my very first professional paycheck came from him when I was a 17-year-old kid.

33 years later I look back on my career and think of how lucky I am. How lucky I was to live just about every single dream I ever had as a kid about being a rock 'n' roll musician and a rockstar. The man who created that magic has passed away from us and the emptiness that I'm feeling cannot be described in words.

They always say they are moments in your life in which from that moment on things will never be the same. Meeting Paul was one of those moments and losing Paul is definitely one of those moments as well.

There are 1 million different things that I want to say right now. I can't really put them into words. I'm praying for his family, his daughter especially. Im praying for all of us in the TSO and Savatage family we lost our big brother, a mentor...our hero...our leader.
All Paul ever wanted to do was change the world through his music he did that and so much more.

Rest In Peace Paul.

It's time to catch up on that sleep you have been missing for the past 20 years...

I love you and I'm gonna miss u.

Chris

Also, I just realized Paul passed away only two days after Criss Oliva's birthday... 

I just cannot imagine how Jon and the guys in Savatage must feel right now. 

All of my heart goes out to them.   

[Prog Snob]

You know, I've met all of them at some point or another in the years of going to see them live. I remember the first time I saw Savatage was at L'amour during  the Handful of Rain tour. I was outside the club talking to Jon and Zak until 5 in the morning. Two of the nicest guys you will ever meet. I met Paul during the first TSO tour. My friend was able to get us passes through his contacts to hang out backstage. We briefly spoke with Paul and I remember he looked exhausted. I remember saying to him that a few years from now, when this band changes the way people see music, especially metal music, the exhaustion you're feeling will be worth it a hundred times over. He looked at me and smiled and said, "Then I will one day die a happy man because it's all about the music and touching as many people as possible."

We can be thankful we had a soul such as Paul's in this world. Someone who had his own way of speaking to people. Some do it through literature, others do it through teaching. Paul spoke to us through the music. When we listen to TSO and Savatage, it is his life's work we are taking in and it will echo in perpetuity as long as we share it with others.