Steven Conners Obituary

Steven J. Conners was born in Dayton, Ohio, September 22, 1940 and died at home with family in Vista, California on May 21, 2025. He is survived by his brothers, Michael and Patrick, his sister, Gale, and his seven children, three stepchildren, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Steve spent his life in the entertainment industry working as a musician, performer, manager, booker, designer, producer, writer and director. He spent time as a restaurateur, designing and managing several restaurants, owned a catering company, and opened a jazz club, Bozo's, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His varied interests included music, stage magic/illusions, carpentry, cooking, history, philosophy, the environment, horse racing and politics.

During the 1960s he created and toured through the mid-2000s special event promotions that raised millions of dollars for various charities across North America, including BURIED ALIVE, FROZEN ALIVE, ENTOMBED IN CONCRETE, TWINKLES THE MAGIC ELF, BRADLEY THE SIX-FOOT CHOCOLATE BUNNY, DILLY THE DRAGON and THE UNDERWATER ORDEAL. In 1965 he conceived and co-produced a touring children's show, THE MAGIC LAND OF MOTHER GOOSE. In 1972, he conceived, co-wrote and staged with David Richmond, the first living cartoon show, THE BUGS BUNNY REVUE for Warner Bros. Entertainment. In 1976 Conners wrote, co-produced, directed and toured a lavish female impersonation revue, WHAT A DRAG: A BI-SEXTENIAL CELEBRATION.

In 1981, Conners acquired the rights and titles for all of the DR. SILKINI stage shows and wrote a new script, produced, directed and toured DR. SILKINI'S ASYLUM OF HORRORS, creating new logo art and promotional materials as well as building all the show's props and illusions from his own designs from scratch. In 1988, Conners wrote, produced and directed, DR. SILKINI'S GREAT GHOST SHOW at the Las Palmas Theater in Hollywood and that same year formed a company to build, manage and tour special retail-broadcast events across North America, again raising money for various charities.

In 1993, he wrote the futuristic-action-political novel, A-B-C. In 2004 and 2005, Conners created a radio show, THE VOICE OF REASON, and acted as its host. In 2006 and 2007 he finished a one-man stage play, GOODNIGHT, MR. BARRYMORE and an American history-opinion-inspirational book, A VOICE OF REASON. In 2009 and 2010, he wrote a magic whodunit novel, THE MYSTERIOUS JOURNAL, and a futuristic action-environment novel, WHAT THE DOLPHIN SAID and a stage play, ARCANUM. In 2013 he produced and directed the premier at the AVO Playhouse of GOODNIGHT, MR. BARRYMORE, starring David Richmond, building the sets and props himself.

In 2016-2018, he wrote and published the prequel (NO MORE CHANCES), and sequel (HEAVEN ON EARTH) to his 1993 novel, A-B-C, packaging the three volumes as THE MADNESS OF POWER series, and finished readying THE GREAT GHOSTMASTER for publication.

His passion, single-minded perseverance, work-ethic, curiosity, generosity,and sense of adventure helped and inspired hundreds over the decades across North America. He gave everything he had without reservation. He will be sorely missed here by all those whose lives he influenced, his friends and family.