As The Republican's senior music writer, his work spanned four decades.
Kevin O’Hare, The Republican’s senior music writer whose work spanned four decades, died Saturday after a lengthy illness. He was 55.
O’Hare’s album reviews and in-depth interviews with some of the biggest names in entertainment appeared in dozens of newspapers throughout the country. He was honored during his lifetime by the New England Newspaper & Press Association and the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors for his music criticism.
“The Republican staff and readers were blessed by Kevin’s talent and knowledge of music,” said executive editor Wayne Phaneuf. “His Sunday columns were carried on a national wire and used all over the globe. We have lost a friend and colleague who can never be replaced. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”
O’Hare began his career as a sportswriter at the newspaper in 1982 and later worked as a news reporter, covering his hometown of Holyoke. An avid Red Sox fan, he coached youth baseball in Holyoke and Southampton for many years. He accomplished all of this while holding the demanding job of director of public relations at Holyoke Medical Center.
A walking, talking encyclopedia of popular music, O’Hare was equally comfortable discussing the music of Frank Sinatra as he was Nicki Minaj.
A supporter of music education, O’Hare wrote in 2006, “The arts matter. They flow throughout our lives, whether we’re participating in them, or enjoying them. They help soothe our souls and in a very real sense, they help define who we are.”
His interview subjects covered the spectrum of popular music – Bruce Springsteen, Ozzy Osbourne, Carly Simon, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Rosanne Cash, Carlos Santana, Janet Jackson, Peter Gabriel, John Legend, Joan Baez, Gene Simmons, Brian Wilson, Aaron Lewis, Ringo Starr, Cat Stevens, Ron Wood, Steely Dan, The Who’s Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, and Yoko Ono.
O’Hare’s demeanor and extensive knowledge of his subjects put them at ease and provided for illuminating articles. Former Beatle Paul McCartney remarked after an interview with O’Hare that although they had only spoken once before, he felt as if he had been talking with someone he had known his whole life.
His interviews would often extend past an artist’s current work and delve into their influences. A scheduled 20-minute interview with Billy Joel lasted an hour as the two men critiqued the music of Traffic.
With his weekly Playback column, O’Hare offered opinions on 7,000 albums. Beginning with a Huey Lewis and the News concert at the Springfield Civic Center in 1985, he reviewed close to 2,000 performances for the newspaper.
Looking back on those concerts, O’Hare wrote in 2010, “Now 25 years and nearly 2,000 concerts after it all began for me, I’m just as stunned, amazed and bewildered, that the job that I loved so much back then I still love every bit as much today. I’m a lucky guy.”
Although he battled serious illness in his final years, O’Hare remained committed to his craft, sometimes penning copy from a hospital bed.
O’Hare’s love of music went beyond the printed page.
His late father, Roy F. O’Hare, a Holyoke deputy fire chief, had spent weekend nights as a local lounge singer, crooning Sinatra songs in smoke-filled cocktail bars like Gleason’s Townhouse in Holyoke.
Upon Sinatra’s death in 1998, O’Hare wrote, “My father died when I was 18, but in later years, every time I heard Sinatra singing, I could feel my father’s presence. As long as Sinatra had a song in his heart, my father was with me and the world felt right.”
Following in his father’s musical footsteps, O’Hare was a member of several area bands, most notably The Cardiac Kids, an early 1980s pop-rock band he founded with Rich Adelson, George Lenker, Dave MacDonald and Steve Moser. They scored a regional hit with “Little Lies,” but were reportedly passed over for a national deal by Geffen Records in favor of Quarterflash.
When not critiquing music, he could be found shopping at record shows with friends, building his extensive collection of vintage vinyl.
“Kevin and I became friends working in rival record stores in the early 1980s,” said Republican arts and entertainment editor Ray Kelly. “Our friendship was rooted in an obsessive love of The Beatles and heavyweight boxing – back when it mattered. When I became his editor in 1998, we quickly settled into well-defined new roles: He was the immensely talented, focused writer and it was my job to present his work in the best light possible.”
Kelly added, “The loss of Kevin is immeasurable, both personally and professionally.”
O’Hare is survived by his wife, Sue; their three sons, Sean, Nicholas and Ryan; and his mother, Claire (Quinn) O’Hare. He was predeceased by his father, and brother, Roy F. O’Hare Jr. Funeral arrangements are pending.