# Gary O'

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{{short description|Canadian rock singer}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2008}}
{{Infobox musical artist  <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name                = Gary O'Connor
| image               = 
| caption             = 
| image_size          = 
| birth_date          = 
| birth_name          = Gary O'Connor
| birth_place         = 
| background          = solo_singer
| origin              = 
| instrument          = [Vocals](/source/Vocals)
| genre               = [rock](/source/rock_music)
| occupation          = Singer
| years_active        = 1960s-present
| label               = 
| associated_acts     = 
| website             = 
}}
'''Gary O'Connor''', better known as '''Gary O'''', is a Canadian rock singer and songwriter.<ref name=jam>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160109190324/http://jam.canoe.com/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/O/O_Gary.html "O'Connor, Gary"] at [canoe.ca](/source/canoe.ca)'s Pop Music Encyclopedia.</ref> He is best known for the singles "Pay You Back with Interest" and "All the Young Heroes", which were popular in the early 1980s,<ref name=jam/> and for receiving a [Juno Award](/source/Juno_Award) nomination for [Most Promising Male Vocalist](/source/Juno_Award_for_Breakthrough_Artist_of_the_Year) at the [Juno Awards of 1982](/source/Juno_Awards_of_1982).<ref>"McKenzies vs. Rush for best album Juno". ''[The Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail)'', March 2, 1982.</ref>  He wrote the [38 Special](/source/38_Special_(band)) song, "Back Where You Belong", which reached number 20 on the [Billboard Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100) charts in 1983.

==Biography==
The son of jazz musician [Billy O'Connor](/source/Billy_O'Connor),<ref name=jam/> he was a member of the bands The Synics and The Spasstiks in the 1960s before the latter band changed its name to Cat in 1968. Cat had a popular Canadian hit in 1970 called "We're In This Together", but broke up by 1972 due to creative differences.<ref name=jam/> O'Connor then performed with a [Beatles](/source/The_Beatles) tribute band called Liverpool;<ref name=jam/> the band soon released two singles of original material, garnering some radio airplay with "Dolly". Following a name change to [Aerial](/source/Aerial_(Canadian_band)), they released the album ''In the Middle of the Night'' in 1978.  O'Connor wrote the single "Easy Love", which reached #92 on the Canadian charts.  

O'Connor left Aerial after their first album. He subsequently formed the short-lived band Kid Rainbow and became a member of the board of directors of the Toronto Musicians Association.<ref name=jam/> After folding the band, O'Connor adopted the stage name Gary O' and continued as a solo artist. His self-titled debut album was released in 1981 on Capitol Records. The remake of [The Hollies](/source/The_Hollies)' song "Pay You Back With Interest" reached the [''Billboard'' Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100) Charts, where it peaked at # 70. Also, the singles "I Believe in You" and "All the Young Heroes" would receive a great deal of airplay on both sides of the border.<ref name=jam/>

In 1984, he released his follow-up album ''Strange Behavior''.<ref>"Pop: Strange Behavior, Gary O'". ''[The Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail)'', September 6, 1984.</ref> The first single "Shades of '45", a song about the [Enola Gay](/source/Enola_Gay) bombing the Japanese, became a popular hit in Canada, and the follow-up "Get it While You Can" also became a modest hit.<ref name=jam/>

O'Connor has also had some success in writing songs for other artists, including [Terri Crawford](/source/Terri_Crawford), [38 Special](/source/38_Special_(band)) ("Back Where You Belong", "One Time For Old Times"), [Molly Hatchet](/source/Molly_Hatchet) ("What's It Gonna Take"), [Eddie Money](/source/Eddie_Money) ("Maybe Tomorrow"), [Kim Stockwood](/source/Kim_Stockwood), [Billy Newton-Davis](/source/Billy_Newton-Davis) and [Beverley Mahood](/source/Beverley_Mahood).<ref name=jam/>

==Discography==

===Aerial===
* 1978 - ''In the Middle of the Night''
* 1980 - ''Maneuvres''

===Gary O'===
* 1981 - ''Gary O'''
* 1984 - ''Strange Behavior''

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://canadianbands.com/gary-o/ Article at canadianbands.com]
*{{Discogs artist|Gary O'Connor}}
* {{imdb name|0640333}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:O'Connor, Gary}}
Category:Canadian rock singers
Category:Canadian male singers
Category:Canadian male songwriters
Category:Canadian people of Irish descent
Category:Living people
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gary O'](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_O') by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_O'?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.