Ex-rapper Danny Boy O’Connor turns old movie set into Tulsa museum

Ex-rapper turns old movie set into Tulsa museum

Message from 'The Outsiders' captivated Danny Boy O'Connor

BY TIM FARLEY

Former hip hop star Danny Boy O’Connor watched the movie “The Outsiders” when he was 13-yearsold and its message stuck with him.

Decades later, he bought the north Tulsa house where much of the movie was filmed and turned it into a museum honoring the legendary flick that included a plethora of current day stars including C. Thomas Howell, Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio and Diane Lane.

The movie was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Gray Frederickson, who lives in Oklahoma City.

But it was the movie’s message that attracted O’Connor, who made his home in Los Angeles until the big move to Tulsa where he and many volunteers would renovate the old house used as one of the sets for the 1983 film. The movie focused on two rival gangs in Tulsa during the 1960s – the poor lower-class greasers and the rich Socs, short for Socials. Issues of gang violence, underage smoking and drinking, foul language and family dysfunction permeated the book and movie and created public controversy.

O’Connor, the former hype man for the hip-hop group House of Pain, has been a longtime fan of the film and S.E. Hinton’s novels, which include “The Outsiders. ”

“The movie mirrored my life in a lot of ways, ” O’Connor said, referring to a dysfunctional family that included his father who was in prison at the time. “I became obsessed

Above, Danny Boy O’Connor inside the Outsiders house. www.theoutsiders.com Right, Gray Frederickson and director Francis Ford Copolla.

with it (movie). I identified with all the characters. I saw this brotherhood in that family (greasers gang) and I looked to recreate that in the streets growing up. It was an inspiring movie to me.

O’Connor said he used hip-hop as a way to be part of a family that rapped together and danced together.

“I used it to fill a void of a broken family, ” he said.

Over the years, O’Connor would travel through Tulsa for hip-hop performances and would often drive by the old house where The Outsiders was filmed. After a while, he recognized the need to buy the crumbling structure or face the realization that it might be torn down. O’Connor’s thought almost came true.

After buying the old house for $42,000 (a price unheard of in California, he says), O’Connor learned about a group that wanted to buy the house and demolish it. They never got the chance.

Instead, O’Connor and key donors began a long renovation process that took more than three years. “I humbled myself and asked for help. I wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew.

O’Connor quickly learned about the Oklahoma Standard where help is just around the corner. Soon after buying the house, he received help from neighbors who volunteered to fix plumbing and mow the yard. There were all sorts of inkind donations and then there were cash donations that came from The Outsiders author and Jack White. “Okies really stepped up and saved the day, ” O’Connor said. “I have never seen so many acts of kindness. That would not happen in California. People out there are too hip and slick. ” Frederickson recalled that the movie almost didn’t get filmed at the north Tulsa house. The owners of the house, who lived across the street, had to be convinced. As a gesture of goodwill, Coppola, who insisted on using the house, and producers paid for the family to spend a month in Hawaii, Frederickson recalled. “We shot 10 to 15 days in that house and were out before they got home, ” he

Scenes from the film superimposed over their current locations. Created by Patrick McNicholas. Visit www.theoutsiders.com for the full gallery.

C. Thomas Howell, “Ponyboy Curtis” donates the sweatshirt he wore in The Outsiders. www.theoutsiders.com

joked.

“It was a fun shoot, crazy and wild. The entire cast was young and having a good time. Tom (Cruise) was the only one who was serious. ”

With the renovations complete, O’Connor began his quest to collect The Outsiders memorabilia, which he says is the largest such collection in the world. The museum unveils a behind-the-scenes layer that everyone loves: the tri via, the untold yarns, the story behind the story, the museum’s website claims.

“STEPPING INTO THE MUSEUM gives fans young and old a chance to stand in the living room where Ponyboy and Darry quarrel, visit the kitchen and recall all the talk about chocolate cake for breakfast, see Dallas Winston’s leather jacket, hear about the mysterious disappearance and reappearance of Francis Ford Coppola’s Director’s Chair, see rare and never before seen photos, movie artifacts and more, ” the website states.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, the museum was open on weekdays and weekends. After the pandemic, hours have been shortened to weekends only. However, scheduled school and private tours can be arranged at The Outsiders House Museum, located at 731 North St. Louis Avenue in north Tulsa, O’Connor said.

“The house looks just like it did when the movie was shot, ” the former rapper said. “It’s the spitting image. This (museum project) has given me a new lease on life, a purpose. When we started this, it was a lower-class neighborhood. But now, there’s a renewed pride in all the neighbors and the city has helped with new streets and sidewalks.

The house looks just like it did when the movie was shot. It’s the spitting image. …there’s a renewed pride in all the neighbors. ”

— Danny Boy O’Connor

O’Connor is trying to turn the venue into more than a museum about The Outsiders. C. Thomas Howell, who portrayed Ponyboy Curtis in The Outsiders, will perform in an already sold-out musical concert on the museum’s lawn Aug. 3.

For more information about The Outsiders House Museum, visit www.theoutsidershouse.com

Chickasaw artist paints Sulphur with color and positivity

BY BRANDON FRYE, CHICKASAW NATION

Chickasaw artist Brent Greenwood recently put the finishing touches on a new mural on the north wall of the 3rd & Broadway boutique in downtown Sulphur.

Greenwood said the painting is an engaging way to enrich the community with beauty and meaning. In this case, the meaning is expressed with contemporary imagery, and centered around family and Chickasaw cultural values.

Artist Brent Greenwood in front of his latest mural in downtown Sulphur. (Provided photo)

“I wanted to reinforce the positive impact that the Define Your Direction (DYD) campaign is making in the area; instilling pride in oneself and community. ”

The mural is easily spotted by those strolling downtown. Greenwood said he thinks having both of his Sulphur murals facing the downtown plaza stage adds to the overall aesthetic of the area.

“It adds a nice colorful vibe, while complementing the nostalgic downtown feel, ” he said.

DYD made this mural possible and its message is at the heart of it.

DYD is a campaign and movement inspiring teens and young adults to be leaders in their communities while living healthy lifestyles. The aim is to steer them toward positive futures, and away from underage drinking and prescription drug abuse.

“By educating teens and young adults about the dangers of both subjects, we are creating a generation of students eager to participate in their communities, live healthy lives and be positive role models, ” the group’s direction statement reads.

DYD’s listed goals are to inspire leaders, raise awareness, educate individuals, provide resources and change attitudes. Greenwood kept these goals in mind while designing his mural.

That’s how he decided to focus on family and Chickasaw values.

The mural features a young Chickasaw looking over their shoulder to see their family in a field of flowers cheering them on. Swirls of wind and color fill the upper portion of the mural. Tribal water designs flow through the bottom portion.

“I always want to embody energy and movement through my process. From the swirling sky, which is on both murals, to the contemplative youth and traditional Southeastern references.

Greenwood explained that while reflecting on family, the contemplative youth reinforces hope, smart decisions and pride in oneself. The youth is a blend of graffiti styled traditional and contemporary – as depicted by a swan headdress, shell necklace and facial marking, but also a pair of headphones.

Reflecting the purpose of the mural, the youth’s shirt displays the DYD logo.

In addition to expressing what DYD is all about, Greenwood said, as a personal goal he hopes this public piece fosters a deeper appreciation of art for those who stop by and take it in.

DYD is grant-funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in collaboration with the Chickasaw Nation and Southern Plains Tribal Health Board. More information can be found at DefineYourDirection.com, along with free resources to use when talking to teens about prescription drug abuse and underage drinking.

Pedestrians and drivers can see Greenwood’s mural on 3rd Street between West Broadway Avenue and Muskogee Avenue. It is a stone’s throw away from his previous Sulphurbased mural on the side of Mahota Studios.

The boutique is owned and operated by a trio of ladies, including young Chickasaw entrepreneur Madeline Jack and her Choctaw mother Julie Jack.

“We are excited about it! It adds a lot of color, ” Madeline

Jack said.

A native Oklahoman and contemporary artist of both Chickasaw and Ponca heritage, Greenwood was born in Midwest City. He is a graduate in fine arts disciplines from the Institute of American Indian Arts and Oklahoma City University.

His artistic journey with the Chickasaw Nation began more than 20 years ago as a tribal artist.

He started teaching at the Chickasaw Arts Academy in 2013 and was appointed Chickasaw Nation Director of Fine Arts in 2017. He now facilitates the Chickasaw Arts Academy and other programming, including arts education, outreach, workshops and student initiatives.

“I’ve been able to employ what I’ve learned over the years. We have a lot of budding young artists that just need some direction, and I know exactly where they are coming from, because I was there too, ” he said.

He also maintains work as an independent artist on commission. Even early in his career as a rural letter carrier with the U.S. Postal Service serving as a means to pay bills, he worked as an artist.

“I consider myself an artist first. That’s my passion. That’s what I love to do. That’s always going to be there, ” he said.

He is known for more than his murals. His figurative works in vibrant acrylic paints are a staple among his creations, but he also is known for his ledger, print making and mixed media art. His originals and prints adorn numerous tribal facilities and even have been applied to a Pendleton blanket sold exclusively at the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur.

As for his mural work and student mentorship, Greenwood said there are always new plans and tempting walls. He hopes to spark creativity in those who view public art as well as his students.

“Public art engages the community. It encourages and fosters the arts. It enhances the community, it spawns other projects, it leads to beautification. It’s a visual expression for the community in a public setting, ” Greenwood said. “It’s free. It’s not in a museum. You don’t have to pay to see it. It’s there if you want to see it. That’s what makes public art so great. ” n

Other paintings by Brent Greenwood: Native Sisters (left), Iron Horse Blues(lower left) and Stomp Dancer (below).