Hello Rockstars! Today’s Artist of the Week is musician Timothy Connolly (Ukulele Hero)!
Here’s his amazing story in his own words, enjoy! 🙂
VMS:
“When did you start writing and performing your music. What’s your backstory.”
Timothy Connolly:
“Raised on classic rock radio. Joined my first band in 1991. 19 years (and 2 bands) later I found myself being both the singer and bandleader for an award-winning band on Long Island. And then I became a music producer at the award-winning Dare Studios. My journey with music began long before all of that though.
When I was still a child, my parents had an impressive collection of albums on vinyl that we would often enjoy listening to the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Beach Boys, The Doors, The Who, And lots more. In a way, those bands had become my tutors, and I didn’t even realize it at the time. In my formative years, and all that.”
VMS:
“What artist or bands inspire you and your sound.”
Timothy Connolly:
“It’s a long list. I stand atop the shoulders of many giants, including Brian Wilson, Mike Love, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Jimi Hendrix, Robbie Krieger, Jimmy Page, Joe Walsh, John Frusciante, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, David Gilmour, and Willie Nelson, to name a few.”
VMS:
“I love your songs you perform called “I’ll Be Around”, “Summer of Roses” and “Glad to be Unhappy”.What is the story behind these songs for you, what do they mean to you.”
Timothy Connolly:
“Thank you so much for enjoying my arrangements of those compositions. “I’ll Be Around” is a Cab Calloway song from 1942 (penned by Alec Wilder, a friend of Frank Sinatra’s.) Frank Sinatra did a really nice version of the song in 1955 too. My own 2024 arrangement is nice and warm, and I just adore the way that the melody just seems to roll right off my fingertips. Sometimes a melody just chooses me, instead of it being the other way around, and this was just one of those times. It’s a song that feels like autumn to me somehow, my favorite season of the year.
“Summer of Roses” is a Willie Nelson composition from 1971 that appeared on his 1983 album (an album called Tougher Than Leather, his 28th album.) I think outlaw country is one of the coolest music sub-genres to ever exist, and I hope to explore it a bit more someday. A cassette tape of that Willie Nelson album was gifted to me in the 1980s by a family friend who was also a Vietnam veteran. I enjoy remembering him and I enjoy remembering those years. That song helps me to remember.
“Glad To Be Unhappy” is a sweet 1936 Rodgers & Hart composition. Frank Sinatra did a nice version in 1955. Frank’s version is jazzy. My version swings a bit more. I prefer my own version. Please don’t tell Frank I said that, haha.”
VMS:
“Tell me about the challenges you face being a deaf musician.”
Timothy Connolly:
“I’d love to say being deaf since age 3 makes everything so much easier, but the opposite is true and it’s a lonesome struggle most of the time. Other senses are heightened, including my sense of touch — and that’s the one heightened sense that gets me into the most trouble when I am not careful. Being extra-sensitive to excessive vibrations and sharp sounds such as barking dogs (and noisy kitchen areas, loud generators, noisy children, motorcycles, low-flying aircraft, loud bands, loud bars and clubs, loud sporting events, et cetera…) has become more of a challenge for me as I’ve gotten older, and it’s just not likely to ever be easy again. And while it is true that I was a bandleader in New York City and Long Island once upon a time, those days are long gone now, and I’ve become increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of being in a band ever again.
I can still handle being part of a duo though (with a percussionist for example) or part of a trio (with a percussionist and a guitarist for example,) and I hope to be enjoying plenty of that with a few friends before long. Driving far distances (more than 10 miles for example) is something that can sometimes sap me of my strength and ruin my mood, because of vehicle vibrations when being on the road and with my sensitivity to excessive vibrations being what it is. I sometimes have difficulty making new connections with event planners (and talent buyers and booking agents) at my performances because of my deafness.
Afterwards I’ll sometimes feel like I could have done more to strike up a conversation with this person or with that person, and I’ll feel like I miss out on opportunities. It’s not really the best feeling in the world, and I hope to experience that feeling a lot less often this year. It always helps when others approach me though, instead of me having to be the one who does the approaching.”
VMS:
“Tell me about your 2024 Album: “Ukulele Hero”. What was the inspiration or reason behind choosing these songs.”
Timothy Connolly:
“My first album (Ukulele Hero) had a strong position on the Reverbnation charts for a while, and it was fun choosing which songs to include versus which songs to exclude. When performing live I rarely perform a song the same way twice. Sometimes I’ll vamp on a particular section. Other times I’ll sprinkle in a bunch of ghost notes, or I’ll try different tempos, or any number of small changes really.
For this album, I wanted songs that I rarely change at all when performing live. I also wanted the songs to span across more than a few decades, so I went with a song from 1908, 1926, 1933, 1942, 1955, 1967, 1971, and more. If that makes Ukulele Hero a concept album, I reckon that’s what it is. That album features no original music, nor does my new album (Have You Ever Been To Acoustic Ladyland; my arrangements of music by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, more of an EP than an LP,) but my next album (Songs For Stanley) will be an LP with 11 original songs that I cannot wait to share with the world.”
Listen to Album: “Ukulele Hero”” On Reverbnation!
VMS:
“Tell me about your upcoming new album “Songs for Stanley”.
Timothy Connolly:
“I was saddened by the recent loss of good friend’s cat (the cat’s name was Stanley) and it’s my hope that this new album of 11 original songs will be a balm for my friend (in addition to being just another batch of original songs in my portfolio.) That’s why this album will be so special. The 11 tracks are “On The Counter Top Again,” “Handrolled Cigar,” “Catnip Conniption,” “Fitted Fedora,” “Guess Who Wants A Hug,” “Mystery Novel,” “Treats,” “Typewriter Ribbon,” “Orange Is The New Cute,” “Desk Lamp,” and “Feline Femme Fatale.” I don’t yet know which streaming platform the songs will be available on but I’ll announce that in my newsletter.
Folks can sign up at www.ukulelehero.vegas to receive my newsletters by email. The album will be recorded on May 31 at Audio Culture in Henderson with engineer Jack Lavine. As usual it will feature my Fender tenor ukulele with Italian strings. No bells-and-whistles. No smoke-and-mirrors. Just the ukulele recorded acoustically with a bit of reverb. I hope everyone enjoys these new instrumental ukulele songs. My last two albums were all cover songs, so it feels great to finally be recording original music again, for the first time in a long time, and for my first time without any bandmates on the east coast. I am enjoying a full-circle moment.”
VMS:
“What are some common incorrect assumptions people make about you”
Timothy Connolly:
“The biggest misconception about me is that I only perform Hawaiian music because I am a ukulele musician. I do enjoy playing the Hawaiian music that’s in my repertoire, and I often perform that music, but that’s only 1% of my repertoire. If more people knew that I also perform plenty of original music in addition to music by Beach Boys, Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Doors, Eagles, Grateful Dead, early MTV classics, Duran Duran, Sublime, Red Hot Chili Peppers, et cetera…, I might get booked more often.
Another misconception about me is that I’m still able to go out very much anymore. I wisely have a 8pm curfew for health reasons (and 9pm lights out) unless it’s a paying gig. I’ve certainly lived long enough to know my limits, and I’m surprised that I lasted this long, especially with all of that self-destructive alcohol-fueled New York City and Long Island nightlife that I somehow survived when I still allowed myself to be surrounded by enablers. I’ve drank my fill of all that and I’m over it. I still get invited to lots of cool events here in Las Vegas (and Henderson and Boulder City) all the time, much of which happens at night, so that’s a dealbreaker for me, but it’s still always nice to know that I’m loved.”
VMS:
“Which local artist would you like to work with and why.”
Timothy Connolly:
“One of the nicest things about being in Las Vegas is the vast array of local artists I would enjoy collaborating with (on stage and in the recording studio.) One such artist is Deron DeStephanis (drums and percussion.) What he and I could accomplish together as a duo around here would have talent buyers knocking on our doors for sure.
And, who knows? Deron and I might even rewrite some of the rulebooks around here, in terms of what a duo can achieve. No backing tracks. No vocals. No egos. Just ukulele and percussion. A perfect vibe for that next bonfire on the beach, or for that day club who wants live entertainment at poolside, or that tiki bar, or that lounge, or that showroom, et cetera… Dare to dream!”
VMS:
“What’s your overall theme or message of your music.”
Timothy Connolly:
“Great music deserves to be kept alive and I’m just here to do my part. And being disabled as I have been since childhood (deafness,) I always aim to inspire and uplift those with disabilities. Nevada Hands & Voices is a wonderful organization that supports deaf children and their families, and they recently had me performing live music for them this year.
Another theme of mine is resilience. I wasn’t supposed to survive the self-destructive nightlife in New York City and Long Island. Or maybe I was. I guess it’s not something I’ll ever know the answer to. In the end it’s just another one of life’s many mysteries.”
VMS:
“Do you have a favorite song that you like to perform.”
Timothy Connolly:
“”Surf’s Up” by the Beach Boys is my favorite song to perform. It’s so hauntingly beautiful and it’s one of those songs that I never see anyone else performing. Keeping the song alive for my audiences just seems like the least I can do, really. And sometimes I sing along during the tidal wave section that follows the lyrics “a broken man too tough to cry” because it just feels like the natural thing to do.”
VMS:
“Why do you have so many amplifiers.”
Timothy Connolly:
“Well, let’s see, there’s my 50-watt BOSS Katana combo amp for larger outdoor gigs. I love that BOSS amp. It gives me the option to tap 50 watts or 25 watts instead, depending on whatever the performance situation calls for. There’s also my 10-watt Fender Front man amp which has more of a mid-range sound. It’s better for electric instruments instead of acoustic/electric instruments, but I’ve still done plenty of successful performances with it. And then there’s my favorite, the 15-watt Fender Acoustasonic amp with chorus knob. I’m a bigger fan of the chorus effect than I remember to give myself enough credit for sometimes. I won’t say a chorus effect makes all the difference, but it adds a flavor to the sound. I would recommend all 3 of these amps to anyone who is wondering which amp to buy next.”
VMS:
“Do you have any crazy or interesting stories from working in the music scene.”
Timothy Connolly:
“There was that one time when Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Gos almost joined my Dungeons & Dragons sessions via Zoom during Covid times (I’ve been a ttrpg hobbyist since 1978 and a Dungeon Master since 1981.) That doesn’t count though.
There was that time I was backstage with Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger at the Jones Beach Amphitheater in New York, when all Ray wanted to talk about was crabs, and when Robbie spoke five words to me that I’ll always remember.
Or that time on Peter Tork’s tour bus when Peter told me the filthiest Micky Dolenz story ever told. Or that time when Henry Hill (of Goodfellas infamy) showed up at one of our band’s performances and bestowed the nickname “Shiny Jacket Boy” upon our guitar player.
Or that time when we borrowed Twisted Sister’s sound engineer for a gig and the drummer from Britny Fox was also our drummer for the entire show. Or that time during my years as a music producer when Mariah Carey’s first sound engineer became our band’s bassist for an entire album, and then another entire album, and then another entire album.
Or that time I borrowed Art Garfunkel’s microphone to record myself reading poetry aloud. Or that time I strummed an enchanting melody for May Pang. Or that time backstage with Vanilla Fudge when Carmine Appice showed me the coolest turquoise jewelry I ever saw. Or that time our band recorded an album of original spy thriller music for a Guy Ritchie movie called The Man From U.N.C.L.E. but they ended up not using it so we retained the rights.
Or that time I recorded Elvis Presley music with Levon Helm’s sound engineer in Brooklyn. Or that time I was the opening act at Bob Dylan’s 60th birthday celebration in Manhattan. Or that time on our band’s tour bus when nobody was motivated enough to eject a Bruce Willis VHS tape (The Fifth Element) from the VCR so by default it just became the one movie that was always on television in the background as the miles rolled away. Or that time our band performed the entire Abbey Road LP (Beatles) live in concert when our brass section’s tuba player eerily (in a good way) resembled Captain Fred from the Yellow Submarine animated film.
Or that time when our band performed live at a fundraiser benefit concert and one of the raffle prizes was “Win a dream date with yours truly.””
VMS:
“What does the future hold for Timothy Connolly.”
Timothy Connolly:
“My new album has dropped (Have You Ever Been To Acoustic Ladyland)* and my next album (Song For Stanley) is being planned for release sometime in October. Planning is also underway for a trilogy of music videos for other original songs of mine, which, when viewed back-to-back-to-back tells a larger story.
I also launched a website (www.ukulelehero.vegas) this year and I’ll be collaborating with Justis Karban (of Karban Tech) on this awesomeness.”
*”Have You Ever Been To Acoustic Ladyland” is currently not for purchase yet, but it has been completed.
VMS:
“What do you want your audience to feel and experience at one of your live shows.”
Timothy Connolly:
“I love it when audiences start to develop a deeper appreciation for instrumental ukulele music after having enjoyed one of my performances. Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys once told us “Music is a living expression of spirit” and there’s always a certain soulful quality to the music when I perform it. Words fail me somewhat, when I try to explain that. Perhaps my performances just need to be experienced in-person to be understood.”
VMS Thoughts:
What I love about Timothy Connolly’s music is his ability to take any song and make it his own. What struck me is how he would take standard songs I have heard before and there would be this amazing sweetness, a incredibly beautiful way of playing that I had never heard before. That is the difference between a great musician and a wonderful musician, to make you feel all the emotions, to help take you on that magical journey. And Mr.Connolly does it so effortlessly you can tell he has not only been playing for a long time but also knows his songs, his heart and his instrument incredibly well in order to give you an amazing performance every time.
I can’t even imagine all doing this while being deaf as well, and all the complexities of that. I feel his music is not only amazing and should be enjoyed by everyone, but I personally think that he is amazing, to be able to do what he does and he never lets anything stand in his way. He is incredibly inspiring and I encourage you to not only go listen to his music, but also see his performances in person to get the full magical experience for yourself. Thank you so much for doing what you do, I know that even if things get complicated sometimes the future is definitely a bright one, and I cannot wait to hear his new album coming out, so please stay tuned for that. I can’t wait to see the amazing evolution of a truly special musician.
—-VMS 🙂
For More Information About Timothy Connolly (Ukulele Hero) please visit his website and social media account:
www.ukulelehero.vegas
Facebook
—–VMS 🙂