Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) mastermind Paul O’Neill has died at the age of 61. A 911 recording reveals that the composer was found dead on Wednesday afternoon after staff and O’Neill’s daughter broke into his locked hotel room at the Embassy Suites near the University of South Florida and found his body. There were no signs of foul play, and an autopsy will determine cause of death (via Tampa Bay Times).
UPDATE (May 30, 2017): Billboard reports that a copy of the autopsy report from the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's office in Tampa, Florida says O'Neill died of intoxication from a mixture of methadone, codeine, Valium and an antihistamine. A statement from O'Neill's family says he died as a result of an "unexpected reaction" to prescription medication for his various ailments.
TSO shows grossed almost $57 million last year, and O’Neill is survived by his wife and their daughter in New York. Billboard ranked TSO no. 25 on a list of the best touring acts of the decade, and says there's no word yet on TSO's plans in the wake of his death. Most industry onlookers seem to think the shows will go on without him. It’s likely what O’Neill — a pure lover of music who donated ticket sales (up to $14 million by some accounts), and sometimes the clothes off his back, to the less fortunate — would have wanted.
Read: Music Issue 2015 — Will there be more Morrisound?
O’Neill was born in New York, but he was an adopted son of the Tampa Bay music scene, and while he was infamous for Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s prog-rock opuses, O’Neill had a major appreciation for local metal acts like Savatage and Obituary. He recorded at Tampa’s famed Morrisound studios and would eventually buy the place to make it TSO headquarters.
"Tampa is basically going to be our hometown for recording from now on," he told the Tampa Bay Times in 2015.
In the spirit of O’Neill’s musical excellence, we’ve compiled four records that casual fans might not associate with him. O’Neill co-wrote, produced, engineered and/or performed these recordings, which you can listen to below.
Savatage — Gutter Ballet (1989, Composer, Lyricist, Mixing, Producer)
Dredg — The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion (2009, spoken word)
Rosie O'Donnell — Another Rosie Christmas, “The Prince of Peace” (2000, composer)
Aerosmith — Classics Live! Vol. 1 & 2. (1986, 1987; producer)
