Paul O’Neill, Trans-Siberian Orchestra Founder, Dead At 61

TAMPA, FL — Paul O'Neill, the 61-year-old founder of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, was found dead in a Tampa hotel room on Wednesday.

According to the University of South Florida Police Department, O’Neill was found by employees of the Embassy Suites hotel on Spectrum Boulevard. While “no obvious signs of foul play” were found, USF Police spokeswoman Renna Reddick told Patch an official cause of death is not yet available. The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Officer is making that determination.

“The entire Trans-Siberian Orchestra family, past and present, is heartbroken to share the devastating news that Paul O’Neill has passed away from chronic illness,” a post made to the band’s Facebook page on Wednesday says. “He was our friend and our leader – a truly creative spirit and an altruistic soul.”

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Trans-Siberian Orchestra is known for songs such as “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” and “Wizards in Winter.” The band is also well-known for its work on PBS fundraisers and its annual holiday tours featuring booming music and synchronized light shows.

O’Neill is credited with conceiving the concept behind the band. “The whole idea was to create a progressive rock band that would push the boundaries (of the genre) further than any group before,” O’Neill is quoted on the band’s website as saying. "Way, way further."

Since its inception, Trans-Siberian Orchestra has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide, inspiring "generations of fans to rediscover the multi-dimensional art form of the rock opera." The band has performed live to more than 100 million people in 80-plus cities, according to its website.

O'Neill's earliest musical influences cut across a spectrum of genres. He was passionate about rock but also "soaked up sources such as Broadway musicals, Motown and singer-songwriters such as Jim Croce and Harry Chapin," the band's website says. Those influences would eventually merge into O'Neill's own distinct style. "Basically I was building on the work of everybody I worshiped," O'Neill was quoted as saying.

O’Neill, a native of New York City, reportedly had made his home base in the Tampa area in recent years.

Information about funeral services is not yet available. It is unclear when an official cause of death will be released.

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Photo credit: Jim Cooper/Associated Press