We were lucky to catch up with TIMOTHY CONNOLLY recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, TIMOTHY thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
When I moved from Glen Cove NY to Henderson NV in 2018 much of my old life stayed behind. Having been a lead singer and bandleader for an innovative award-winning band in Long Island and New York City was no small thing for me to jettison. We were trailblazers from 2002 til 2015 during a time when no other bands in our scene took the kinds of chances than we did. Bonds that developed among our bandmates became badges-of-honor. I’ll always remember times with them. Self-destructive nightlife stopped being fun though and I had allowed myself to be surrounded by enablers when I knew deep down inside that I deserved much better than that. If new adventures in the great American west were to be experienced and savored, it meant leaving the band and going solo. Sometimes in life we just feel a calling. Nevada was my calling. Driving solo from New York to Nevada lasted fifteen days while I stayed with dear friends-and-family along the way (Tommy in New Jersey, Paul in Pennsylvania, Lorraine in Virginia, John & Jeanine in North Carolina, to name a few.) I underwent a metamorphosis during that solo cross-country drive. It occurred as I was driving through the Smoky Mountains at the North Carolina/Tennessee border. That was the moment when the last vestiges of my old life as a singer and bandleader had melted away. I had already been playing ukuleles since 2009 after having been gifted a soprano by my bandmate Russ, but I had never taken it seriously enough, and it was that drive through the Smoky Mountains that really flicked my ukulele switch into the ON position (and it’s been in that position ever since.) I no longer sing even though I probably should (it’s still my best talent) but my five ukuleles (Jess, Donna, Carla, Vivian, Tess) do all of the singing for me now while also being my greener pastures and it’s just been beautiful. I had been a musician. I became music. Leaving the east coast was a big risk, for sure, but it all turned out for the best. Today I have plenty of fans in Las Vegas and my own website. I’ve recorded a few albums here and made nice connections that I didn’t have ten years ago. My formula for success in 2025 isn’t even really a secret though. Being your most authentic self helps a lot. Being very honest with yourself about your own personal boundaries/limits helps a lot too. And, of course, it all starts with having enough courage to take risks.
TIMOTHY, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Las Vegas underwent somewhat of a return to normalcy during 2023 and that was when I decided to start performing live ukulele music. Enough time had passed since the pandemic and people were ready to socialize again and just get on with their lives. I strum a thousand enchanting melodies spanning 1920s to 1990s. In addition to plenty of my own original material, I also strum traditional Hawaiian songs, Christmas songs, Beach Boys, Beatles, John Lennon solo, Paul McCartney & Wings, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Eagles, Doors, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Leon Redbone, Jimi Hendrix, CCR, Queen, KISS, Eric Clapton, The Who, Doobie Brothers, Rolling Stones, INXS, Duran Duran, Sublime, Red Hot Chili Peppers, early MTV classics, and it’s kind of a long list. I use a 15-watt Fender Acoustisonic amp with chorus knob. I use Aquila strings. And my favorite ukulele to perform with is my Fender tenor Rincon with the Fishman pre-amp. I perform whilst wearing my signature laidback beachcomber attire (including my lucky sandals and one of my many signature Cuban button-down guayabera shirts. Audiences never know which shirt I’ll wear next.) I often get asked “Are you going to the beach?” To which I always smile and reply “I am the beach.” When I think about what sets me apart from other musicians, musically speaking, beyond the obvious fact that I perform live music with an uncommon instrument, I think about my determination to keep on performing music that I want to perform, without feeling like I need to compromise or be learning a bunch of new (to me) songs ahead of time just because a potential situation calls for it. Event planners and talent buyers trust me enough to tap into my own vast repertoire and always allow me the freedom to curate my own set lists for each performance. Other things that set me apart include my instrumental approach (no vocals,) a knack for reading the room, a knack for adjusting the tempo, and my improvisational acumen. I am also super punctual, and that helps a lot. Arriving 90 minutes before showtime is always my goal. Like the old saying goes, “If you’re not early, you’re late.” Whether it’s a pool party or a corporate event (or a luxury open house showing for realtors, or a sporting event, or any number of other performance opportunities) the Ukulele Hero can always be counted on to provide just the right amount of enhancement. Everyone wants a Hero.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Having been deaf since age 3, what drives my creative journey in 2025 is knowing that I can continue to inspire others with disabilities. After all, even if only just one disabled person each year to find inspiration in what I can do with a musical instrument, then perhaps I’ve already done my part to help make this world a brighter place. It’s a world that belongs to all of us. Why not have it be a brighter world?
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being the Ukulele Hero (and being the only performer in Las Vegas who does what I do) is meeting so many wonderful people who I would likely have never met had it not been for music. Music continues to open doors for me in life which would have remained quite closed otherwise. I am aware of this and I am grateful for it too. Sometimes music shows me doors that should remain closed, and I know better than to squander time with those doors. I didn’t always have enough wisdom when I was younger, to know the difference between doors that should be open versus doors that should be closed, but that’s a wisdom that the 2025 version of me has plenty of, and it’s the kind of wisdom all musicians end up needing sooner or later.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ukulelehero.vegas
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timothy.connolly.ukulele.hero
