Peter O'Brien and Mary Lou Williams

[James Kelly]

Fratres - This month's issue of AMERICA has a narrative about Mary Lou Williams (very interesting) and mentions our own Peter O'Brien of St. Andrews.  Peter was undoubtedly the least plausible graduate of Xavier High School, with its military background), as I'm sure Dan Gatti will tell us.  Peter gets barely a passing mention, but he is there.. I'm not sure, with Bob Curtis no longer here, if I will get this Peter O'Brien tidbit to all who might care to know - so, any help appreciated by this octogenarian st. andrew's guy, pax, jim

[Jack Hogan]

On Feb 5, 2021, at 10:51 AM, James Kelly <jkjr...@gmail.com> wrote:

Fratres - This month's issue of AMERICA has a narrative about Mary Lou Williams (very interesting) and mentions our own Peter O'Brien of St. Andrews.  Peter was undoubtedly the least plausible graduate of Xavier High School, with its military background), as I'm sure Dan Gatti will tell us.  Peter gets barely a passing mention, but he is there.. I'm not sure, with Bob Curtis no longer here, if I will get this Peter O'Brien tidbit to all who might care to know - so, any help appreciated by this octogenarian st. andrew's guy, pax, jim

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[David Schiebel]

I think I remember Bill Hanlon telling me that Peter worked directly with Mary Lou Williams helping her gather, document and organize her life work as a jazz singer. Bill?     Dave

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 6, 2021, at 5:05 PM, Jack Hogan <ijh...@optonline.net> wrote:



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[Jack Hogan]

Hi JR -

Pete O’Brien was very close to Mary Lou Williams in her final years, and very proud of it. He was her personal manager. He deserves more than a passing mention in an article in any magazine, about her life.

The two families which my family connected with, on the rare visitation days at St.Andrew’s, from 1957 to 1961, were the Magnettis and the O’Briens. They were both from New Jersey, Don from Teaneck (I think) and Pete from Ridgefield, about 3 miles from where my family lived in Edgewater. I can’t think of any two guys at STA that I had less contact with, than Don Magnetti and Pete O’Brien. But life is strange. On every visit, my parents waned to know how Don Magnetti and Pete O’Brien were doing.  

The Hogans and the O’Briens eventually became so close that my brother, Tom, became the O’

Briens family attorney.

I didn’t hang out with either Donald or Pete at St.Andrew’s. I was into sports. (I still remember the comment by the Greek teacher in my first year of the Juniorate, when I stumbled and fumbled over Greek pronunciation: “Mr. Hogan, once you leave the Novitiate, your athletic scholarship is no good”)

At some point, in the Juniorate, we put on the stage play “On Borrowed Time”. Tom Moore, the director, cast me as the grandfather and he cast Pete as “Pud” my grandson. That’s how I got to know Pete.

Pete was exceptionally talented, theatrically. He had been a child actor. He was scheduled to have a TV appearance on the Gary Moore show, but, in the days of live TV, they ran out of time, and it never aired. But he told me about it and did the song (it was a spoof of another TV show) and it was hilarious. Pete was 10 times the actor I was, but I had been in the St.Peter’s Prep theater group, in several productions, including having the lead in Stalag 17. So, we both knew was was involved and what we had to do; Tom Moore was pleased and the show went well . . . until the day of the first performance, when I went out to play a hockey game and Tom forbade me to do that because I might get hurt, but, even if I didn’t, I would not have enough energy to give a good performance. I was hard-headed. I started the hockey game, and then I thought about what Tom said. He was right. So I left the game, went back to the house and rested up for the evening performance. It went well.

After On Borrowed Time, I never hung out with Pete again, although our families continued to be in contact. If Pete had a family visit, I dutifully showed up to give a hug to his mom and dad, and greet their other 9 kids, and Pete did the same for me when my parents visited. 

Years past. Many years. 

After 6 years as a missionary in the Philippines, 2 years in construction, marriage, three years in law school, and two kids, Renee and I joined a small group of liberal Catholics who worshipped weekly in a small group who used a space provided by the Sisters of St. Joseph on their property in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. Different priests came to say the Sunday Mass. One Sunday, the priest was Pete O’Brien. Pete talked to me. I had many issues with the official stance of the Catholic church. Pete agreed with me, but he told me it was wrong to deny my children their official badge of Catholicism, Baptism and First Communion. Fr. Pete O’Brien baptized and gave First Communion to both of my sons. Pete was a good and faithful priest. 

The one or two conversations I had with Pete about Mary Lou Williams were informative. For openers, I had never heard of her. Pete obviously loved Mary Lou. He felt she was under appreciated. He was totally dedicated to her and her life and her career. He deserves more than a footnote in an article about her.

Jack Hogan

 

On Feb 5, 2021, at 10:51 AM, James Kelly <jkjr...@gmail.com> wrote:

Fratres - This month's issue of AMERICA has a narrative about Mary Lou Williams (very interesting) and mentions our own Peter O'Brien of St. Andrews.  Peter was undoubtedly the least plausible graduate of Xavier High School, with its military background), as I'm sure Dan Gatti will tell us.  Peter gets barely a passing mention, but he is there.. I'm not sure, with Bob Curtis no longer here, if I will get this Peter O'Brien tidbit to all who might care to know - so, any help appreciated by this octogenarian st. andrew's guy, pax, jim

[William Hanlon]

If you hung around long enough with Peter O’Brien, you’d be bound to meet some interesting people. I went  with him once to hear Mary Lou play at a jazz club in the Village, I think.  From even a brief encounter, it was clear she had uncommon talent and, what’s more, a heart as large as her talent.  Later, she became Artist in Residence at Duke University and Peter became part of that program, acting as her manager and even co-teaching classes with her.

Another time, Peter asked me to go with him to visit Carson McCullers who was then living in Nyack. She was a tiny bed-ridden figure but with a large glass of bourbon on the bedside table.  Sickly most of her life, she was nearing death. The purpose of our visit was for Peter to read to her from her own works.  As he did, she seemed to be reliving something deeply personal and painful in her life. Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

When he was a student at Xavier, Peter would frequently stay in the City until night, make his was up to the theater district and wait for an intermission, after which there would always be empty seats. Peter would take a seat and enjoy the second half of the play. Over four years, he saw parts of very  many plays.  Talk about love of the theater.

I didn’t see very much of Peter after our regency together at Fordham Prep and my brief stay at Woodstock.  But every five or six years the doorbell would ring at our home near Albany and there he’d be, saying something like “Can I use your bathroom”?  We would have a brief visit, and he’d be off. I last saw him at his wake at St Aedan’s in Jersey City.  RIP, old friend.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/codys/BF023CB3-2E81-45AC-9CED-1BFB853A9129%40aol.com.

[David Schiebel]

Bill, maybe it is my Super Bowl Sunday vodka at lunch, but I am so moved by your reminiscence of Peter! Thank you!   Dave

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 7, 2021, at 12:44 PM, William Hanlon <bha...@nycap.rr.com> wrote:



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[David Schiebel]

Bill, allow me. My favorite title of all time: Carson McCullers’ The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter.       Dave

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 7, 2021, at 1:27 PM, David Schiebel <dps...@aol.com> wrote:

Bill, maybe it is my Super Bowl Sunday vodka at lunch, but I am so moved by your reminiscence of Peter! Thank you!   Dave

[Jack Hogan]

Great memories, Bill (and Dave, I’ll get to you in a minute).

I was not going to say anything more about Pete, but now I’m inspired.

I taught and coached 3 sports at St. Vincent Academy in Newark, an all-girls Catholic school, whose population is more than 80% Black & Hispanic, and mostly poor kids, from the time I closed down my law practice in 1989 until this pandemic hit. 

From time to time (and I had nothing to do with his being there), Father Peter O’Brien would appear at the weekly Friday Mass or on a special occasion on Ash Wednesday, at the school, or as the priest at a retreat the girls were making. 

The girls didn’t just like him; they LOVED him. His basic approach was, “I’m different, and so are you, and that’s OK”. 

In the 31 years that I have been associated with the school, he is the Catholic priest who most connected with the high school students I taught (most of whom are not Catholic).

So, Dave, who are you rooting for tonight? Who’s going to win? 

I think Brady is the best quarterback, ever, in the history of the NFL, and I cheer against him in every game. I’m a Giants fan, but not a passionate one. The 2nd best Super Bowl game I ever watched (after Namath & the Jets beat Baltimore in 1969) was when the Giants spoiled the Patriots almost perfect season. 

The third best game was when Miami completed their perfect season. My wife knew Jim Kiick (Sp?) when they were in high school. I was forced to watch every Miami game that was televised in 1972. I was jealous of a guy I had never met.

I’m cheering for Kansas City, not for any good reason. I happened to be in Kansas last year, with my daughter-in-law, doing research on her book, at the Eisenhower library in Abilene, during the Super Bowl. We were nowhere near Kansas City or even Witichita. There is not a lot in rural Kansas to get excited about in January & February, but the few people who were out and about were all into the Super Bowl, and i’m glad they won. 

I’m not a vodka drinker, Dave. But I have a bottle of Jack Daniels (for medicinal purposes only) for a toast or two if Kansas City wins. 

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[Jerry Esterheld]

Carson McCuller's name was familiar to me, but I was surprised at Peter's reading to her and that she was a contemporary. So I looked her up on the Internet and discovered she was born in the same Southern city 30 years before my wife, in reading this 2001 New Yorker article.

Carson McCullers --- https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/12/03/unhappy-endings

---

From: co...@googlegroups.com <co...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Jack Hogan <ijh...@optonline.net>
Sent: Sunday, February 7, 2021 5:17:43 PM
To: David Schiebel <dps...@aol.com>
Cc: William Hanlon <bha...@nycap.rr.com>; James Kelly <jkjr...@gmail.com>; co...@googlegroups.com <co...@googlegroups.com>; jack podsiadlo <jjpod...@gmail.com>; Daniel Gatti, SJ <dga...@jesuits.org>; Bob Goger <bgoge...@gmail.com>; Dan Gatti <dga...@fordham.edu>

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/codys/74F666F3-DCAC-46DE-B89E-15E6E040DC6C%40optonline.net.

[Gerry Drummond]

Jazz Mass Maestro. America February 2021. 

I finally read the story at halftime. 

Peter’s mention is brief but essential. But the essay is from a larger work. 

Is our STA ‘58 Peter striking our inner jazz? Never paid heed or understood much when  I would hear that POB was helping MLW, whom I had never heard of.

Now I do. Like her, he was /is helping everyone, even me who can’t hit a note right and who left his banjo in the Philippines with a student who asked me for it when I was returning to the states.

Listen in silence. He’s there surprising us to to be surprised.

TB31 KC 9. 13:43 to go

Gerry

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.

[Joseph Kevin McKay]

All,

As a lowly primi in our St. A days, I feel a bit presumptuous to join the conversation, but will.

I have so enjoyed the stories and reminisces about Jack, Bill, Dave and Peter O’Brien, the St. A theatre experiences and about Peter’s remarkable career.  

We saw the legendary Mary Lou Williams perform at the Greenwich Village Cookery in the 70’s.
You can’t bet against Brady, especially tonight, but the GIANTS beat him twice in the Super Bowl.  My younger son John and I, as a season ticket holders since 1972, were in Indianapolis to see the more recent one.

I hope to have and bequeath a legacy as worthy as all of yours.

Kevin, St. A. ‘60

Sent from my iPad

On Feb 7, 2021, at 5:17 PM, Jack Hogan <ijh...@optonline.net> wrote:

Great memories, Bill (and Dave, I’ll get to you in a minute).

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/codys/74F666F3-DCAC-46DE-B89E-15E6E040DC6C%40optonline.net.

[bill kreutz]

Greetings to all from the other side of the world – Piece!

Thanks for all the wonderful stories shared as we remember Peter O'Brien. I really did not understand his apostolate with Mary Lou Williams perhaps I was just too far away and it didn't fit into my paradigm. But the story about Mary Lou in America touched me very much. And then the little "icing on the cake" was a mention of Peter's accompaniment of Mary Lou over the years.

It seems he was a great gift to many – A blessing for him and for Mary Lou.

A sports note – I watch some international news this day and saw about the victory of the Buccaneers. Mentioned in one of the emails above was that game between the Giants and the patriarchs a number of years ago – could that have been 10 years ago?

But – the story – I watch the game together with Jim O'Donnell and, I think, Pat Giordanp. We had been invited to watch at the residence of the US ambassador to the Philippines, Harry K. Thomas. Harry was from St. Albans in Queens, did a high school at Brooklyn Tech and as is liberal arts college at Holy Cross. He was a good friend of Earl Markey – that is how we got to know the ambassador.

Well the game was exciting it began around seven or 8 AM Manila time so we took our breakfast at the halftime. And then came back to what the ending of again and the Giants wonderful victory. It was a great morning.

Well – STAs – thanks for all the good stories shared. Really great and, might I say, uplifting.

A remembrance and blessing for all – Bill K.

PS a bit of patience please with my dictation software – Dragon  Naturally Speaking – TY –

William H. Kreutz, SJ

Loyola House of Studies

Ateneo de Manila University

Loyola Heights, Quezon City

Philippines  1108

Landline: +63 2 8 426 6101

Mobile: +63 918 923 4344

WhatsApp, Viber, Messenger

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[Jack Hogan]

Not for nothin, but . . . 

I actually tracked down the TV bit that Pete O’Brien was scheduled to do on TV, although I may have misidentified the TV show it was supposed to be on.

Arthur Godfrey was one of the earliest TV folks to have his own show. In 1951, he did a humorous bit with Laurie Anders. Laurie was a multi-talented singer, actress and comedian, originally from Wyoming.

Together, Godfrey and Anders sang , with Anders adopting a ridiculous western accent, “I like the wide open spaces, out where the cactus grows, where two guns beat four aces, I like the wide open spaces”. 

Godfrey's fans loved it.

Laurie, to Godfrey, was like Goldie Hawn or JoAnn Worley were to Rowan & Martin on Laugh In, in the 60s; fans loved them, but you didn’t want to push it too far. Over exposure to stand-up comediens is a death sentence. Every once in a while, Godfrey would have Anders on the show, and, as far as I remember, that was the only thing she did.

I saw the bit so many times, I knew all the words.

I don’t know how old Pete was when someone put together a spoof of the Godfrey-Anders song, having children play the parts, or who auditioned them and approved it for TV.  They were kids. Pete would’ve been 11 when the show first aired. I have no idea who the young lady was who played the girl’s part.

That’s the back story, which Pete told to me. All that rehearsing, the hard work, the nervousness, the anticipation, a chance to be on TV, but no show. Here we are, like Kansas City fans after last night’s game, a lot of hype, but no payoff.

 Boy, do I have too much time on my hands. Go away pandemic!

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