| Mysterious. That’s what they call him. Timothy O’Donovan hails from a small town on Florida’s gulf coast. His family’s rural, working class environment and meager existence offered little hope in escaping a blue collar fate. So meager, his parents enlisted the help and generosity of family and neighbors for help when Timothy contracted a near fatal case of meningitis at age 6. Though not expected to survive, Timothy’s young heart wanted to fight. And fight he did. This fight set in motion a pattern which would repeat itself throughout his life, seemingly insurmountable tragedies, and a mysterious ability to overcome them. Though financially strapped, his household never lacked love or music, the latter of which Timothy showed an early affinity for. With his parents’ encouragement, and a steady diet of his mothers jazz, blues, and country records, Timothy began to develop an eclectic and vast musical identity. Upon falling in love with rock and roll, at the age of 9, Timothy asked his father for an electric guitar. Financially unable to purchase and with suspicion that it was just a faze he would soon grow out of, Timothy inherited a battered, nearly unplayable acoustic guitar from a cousin. When he approached his father again about an electric guitar, his father told him to learn four songs from his “easy” guitar song book and he would be rewarded with the $39 j.c. penny electric guitar he so coveted. His father was shocked when the youngster played him those same four songs a mere three days later. Not to break his promise, Timothy’ s father worked hard for many months so Timothy may receive his dream guitar by Christmas morning. With no money for a guitar case, Timothy carried his dream guitar in a black plastic bag to school so he could keep playing his passion and have something to finally connect with. As he grew, Timothy unfortunately realized he was a bit of an odd ball and found it increasingly hard to fit in with his peers. It was this “outsider” roll that began to fuel his passion for songwriting. He found a kinship in the music of the singer/songwriter heroes of the day. Though he immulated his heroes emotionally honest music, he never directly duplicated it. He preferred to seek his own voice and writing style lifted directly from his life experiences, failures, and subtle triumphs. People created their own, often harsh, opinions of this young “man of mystery”. Timothy struggled throughout his life, challenges arose all around him, yet he continued to find salvation in his music. Through the loss of many friends at young ages, growing up, trying to fit in, drugs, lack of money, life became a question and a heartache but the passion grew and stories of life began to pour out. From people he’s met, seen, or his own life, an impressive catalogue of songs began forming for all to be moved by. Want to know the mystery behind the man? His stories? His heart? Listen to his music, his voice… there lies the key. Though some say the mystery is how he puts the lyrics together to create the story. Or should we say that’s just his mastery? |
| My Music Heard |