Margaret Moser Tribute: Derek O'Brien

A great writer, and a great partier, too


Margaret and Derek O'Brien at the former's 2014 retirement party, Continental Club (Photo by Todd V. Wolfson)

Margaret’s always been around. She was everywhere and doing everything. And it was all good.

As the years went by, it dawned on me how much Margaret was into all the little obscure things, as well as the things that got a lot of attention. She has to be the biggest Antone’s supporter of all time. There was a time other people were skeptical of it, but Margaret was nothing but support and interest.

There was some line she crossed when she was trying to do what she did, where all of a sudden she was really doing it. She’s been such a great writer for so long, I forget she used to be a great partier too.

She’s a self-made writer. She is not a kiss-ass.

She’d hole up in a hotel room for I don’t know how many days before the Austin Music Awards to get it all together. That would be the situation room, the nerve center of operations. I liked to see her work that. She could do a whole lot of things at once.

I can tell you something off the record. This is definitely off the record: Albert King told her she had the best tits in Texas. Don’t you fuckin’ dare print that.

There was this sexy Polaroid picture of her and another girl on the wall of this practice room at Music Lane by the Opry House. It wasn’t real revealing, a shoulders-and-heads shot of them dressed up in not exactly bondage kind of gear, but almost like 1930s Berlin, leather caps and just looking sexy and kinky. That’s Margaret. She’s so open about everything: “Here I am, baby!”

  • Margaret Moser Tribute: Leader of the Pack

    The importance of being Margaret Moser as told by her peers, mentors & protégés
  • Susan Antone

    “If I could do in my lifetime half of what she’s done, I’d be a happy person”

    Marcia Ball

    “She’s a music writer who writes to enlighten”

    Lou Ann Barton

    The blues belter on what it's like to have your career chronicled by the best

    Ray Benson

    Soap Creek Saloon on a 10-cent tequila night

    Alice Berry

    On the Texas Blondes: “We were just cute girls who liked cute bands”

    John Cale

    Velvet Underground co-founder on first meet: “Up walks a petite blonde with all the swagger of someone 10 feet tall”

    Alvin Crow

    Summer camp with the kids

    Joe Doerr

    Pulling out a seat at Austin music’s banquet table

    Joe Ely

    “She always stirred up whatever trouble there was”

    Roky Erickson

    On Margaret’s personal and passionate way of writing about music

    Alejandro Escovedo

    “Her love for the Velvet Underground and John Cale was the same as I had”

    Rosie Flores

    “Austin wouldn’t be Austin if it wasn’t for Margaret”

    Gary Floyd

    Promoting punk, Austin, Texas-style

    Denny Freeman

    Remembering that “little blues cult”

    Chris Gates

    The power of print – and a 20-inch dildo

    Eliza Gilkyson

    The best advice she ever received? Keep your dogs clean.

    Jon Dee Graham

    A champion of Austin music – and Austin music writers

    Emily Gimble

    “She’s such a positive force in the world”

    Warren Hood

    “She’s the coolest, hippest lady”

    Tamir Kalifa

    Mother Falcon's mama bear
  • Barbara K

    The power of music for fixing things and opening hearts

    Chris Layton

    Antone’s, 1979: Hurricane Margaret blows in

    Paddy Moloney

    "You felt you were in safe hands with Margaret"

    Jason McMaster

    “She’s as metal as anyone – maybe even more”

    Augie Meyers

    “You can’t replace Margaret. There’s no more people like her.”

    Eve Monsees

    The confidence booster

    Rose Reyes

    “She was the leadership in Austin journalism that made sure women, Latinos, blacks, and youth weren’t overlooked”

    The Rolling Stones

    That Margaret Moser, she’s a rainbow

    Shawn & Shandon Sahm

    Beautiful Texas sunshine

    Larry Seaman

    “I don’t want to be greedy, but I want a little more time”

    Charlie Sexton

    The United Nations of Margaret

    Jeff Smith

    The case for San Antonio as the true heart of Texas music

    Angela Strehli

    “Margaret was always exuberant, cherubic, and mischievous simultaneously”

    Jesse Sublett

    When the Queen calls, you come

    Tiarra Girls

    “She will always be such an important part of our story”

    Kathy Valentine

    Right place, right time, right woman to share the joy with

    Jimmie Vaughan

    “Everything back then felt like us versus them – and she was one of us”

    Patricia Vonne

    Shine a light

    Monte Warden

    The career kick-starter

    Lucinda Williams

    The life of the party

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KEYWORDS FOR THIS STORY

Margaret Moser, Derek O'Brien, Antone's, Austin Music Awards, Albert King, Joe Nick Patoski, Margaret Moser Tribute

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