Paul O'Neill (producer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul O'Neill
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O'Neill in 2011
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| Born | February 23, 1956 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | April 5, 2017 (aged 61) Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
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| Instruments | Guitar |
Paul O'Neill (born February 23, 1956 – died April 5, 2017) was an American composer, lyricist, and record producer. He was also a talented guitarist. Paul O'Neill became well-known for producing the progressive metal band Savatage. He also founded the famous musical group Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO).
Contents
Paul O'Neill's Music Journey
His Early Life and Start in Music
Paul O'Neill was born in Flushing, Queens, New York City. He was the second of ten children in his family. From a young age, he loved music and books. These interests shaped his artistic ideas.
He started playing guitar with rock bands in high school. Soon, he was performing folk guitar at clubs in downtown New York. In the mid-1970s, he formed his first progressive rock band, Slowburn. They recorded music at Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios. There, he met engineer Dave Wittman, who could record the sounds O'Neill imagined.
Paul O'Neill wasn't happy with Slowburn's final music. He decided to put the project aside. Later, he felt this was a good thing. It gave him a chance to learn about the music business. He learned about recording and putting on concerts. Touring with big bands taught him how the music industry worked in different countries. This gave him a better understanding of history, people, and money.
He got a job at Leber-Krebs Inc., a company that helped many bands become famous. These bands included Aerosmith, AC/DC, Def Leppard, and Joan Jett. In the 1980s, O'Neill became a big rock promoter in Japan. He promoted tours for Madonna and Sting. He also promoted large rock festivals in Japan. Bands like Foreigner and Bon Jovi played at these festivals.
Creating Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Paul O'Neill worked on albums for Aerosmith, like Classics Live I. Then, he started working with the band Savatage. This was a very important partnership. He helped them create concept albums, which tell a story through music. Some of these albums were Hall of the Mountain King and Streets: A Rock Opera.
Working with Savatage introduced him to Jon Oliva, Bob Kinkel, and Al Pitrelli. He also reconnected with engineer Dave Wittman. These people became the first members of O'Neill's next big project, Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO).
O'Neill wanted to combine his favorite music styles into something new. He said in 2011, "I was building on the work of everybody I worshipped." He admired the rock opera style of bands like the Who. He also liked how bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer mixed classical and rock music. He wanted to create a full rock opera with a progressive band and many singers.
He presented his idea to Atlantic Records. They liked it and helped fund a project called Romanov. This was supposed to be TSO's first album. O'Neill felt lucky because Atlantic Records still supported artists in an "old school" way. His original plan was to create six rock operas. Three of them would be about Christmas.
However, Romanov was put on hold. So, the first Christmas story, Christmas Eve and Other Stories, became TSO's first album. A song called "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" helped the album become very popular. It sold over two million copies. More popular Christmas albums followed, like The Christmas Attic and The Lost Christmas Eve. While making the Christmas trilogy, TSO also released their first non-holiday rock opera, Beethoven's Last Night.
Paul O'Neill's Legacy
Paul O'Neill passed away on April 5, 2017, in Tampa, Florida. His death was due to an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. He had been dealing with several health issues.
Paul O'Neill was working on many projects when he died. People wondered if his band, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, would continue. However, TSO announced that they would keep performing to honor O'Neill. During their 2017 Winter Tour, they paid tribute to him. They played a song called "The Safest Way Into Tomorrow." Images of O'Neill's sunglasses and motorcycle gloves were shown on stage. These items were his trademarks.
Albums Paul O'Neill Produced or Worked On
Aerosmith
- 1986 – Classics Live I
- 1987 – Classics Live II
Badlands
- 1989 – Badlands
Omen
- 1989 – Escape to Nowhere
Heaven
- 1985 – Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Metal Church
- 1993 – Hanging in the Balance
Savatage
- 1987 – Hall of the Mountain King
- 1989 – Gutter Ballet
- 1991 – Streets: A Rock Opera
- 1993 – Edge of Thorns
- 1994 – Handful of Rain
- 1994 – Japan Live '94
- 1995 – Dead Winter Dead
- 1995 – Ghost in the Ruins – A Tribute to Criss Oliva
- 1997 – The Wake of Magellan
- 2001 – Poets and Madmen
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
- 1996 – Christmas Eve and Other Stories
- 1998 – The Christmas Attic
- 2000 – Beethoven's Last Night
- 2004 – The Lost Christmas Eve
- 2009 – Night Castle
- 2012 – Beethoven's Last Night – The Complete Narrated Version
- 2012 – Dreams of Fireflies (On a Christmas Night) – EP
- 2015 – Letters from the Labyrinth
