September 29, 1949 - July 9, 2026

Our family is saddened to share the death of Timothy Patrick Irvin. A true larger-than-life personality who was deeply loved and will be immensely missed by fans, friends, and family. Timothy Patrick, known to many as “Stinky,” was born in Bloomington, Illinois, on September 29th, 1946, with red hair and golden eyelashes. He liked to say he came from Bloomington and that's “about as close to Normal as you can get”. In 1976, he moved out west with his family, and of course, his band, Timothy P. and the Rural Route Three. In the foothills of Colorado, he built a rich and full life of performing and recording music, while he surrounded himself with family, friends, and good times.

Timothy was preceded in death by his parents, Margarete and Lawrence, and his sister, Laura Beth.
He is survived by his “wife lovely,” Christine Ann Irvin; his daughters, Emily (husband Steve) and Katy (husband John Arthur); and his grandsons, Jack and Charlie, who made him the proudest “Papa.” He also leaves behind his sister, Jane, his brother, Terry, and their families, as well as a large extended family, both chosen and given.

Collecting was part of who Tim Irvin was. In the days after his passing, we have begun to collect stories, tall tales, and anecdotes about his music and performing. From roadhouses and bars, at weddings and celebrations, to community events and benefits, his music brought joy to a diverse fanbase. He famously performed in front of White House residents on Veterans Day in 1999 and, the next year, performed for those who had no place to call home (but showed up year after year to dance on the streets of Denver) at the Taste of Colorado. He treated every audience equally, with regard, joy, and enthusiasm. He showed up with respect during his time at Longview High School, helping to guide and encourage students with laughter, understanding, and humility. Most and most of all, he showed up with love and acceptance, with silliness and style, with a nickname for everyone and a song for everything he did. In collecting the hundreds of thousands of bootleg CDs, cassette tapes, VHS, and reel-to-reel recordings in his home, plus the countless other items others gifted over the years, there was always someone he had in mind to share them with. Just as he focused on bringing delight through his performance to each and every crowd, he was collecting little pieces of delight for others that would serve the same purpose.

He also dressed to bring joy, matching every pair of overalls, bow tie, hat, Converse, and Crocs with purpose. He knew his style would make people smile, both on stage in front of thousands and just heading to the grocery store.

His penchant for curiosities was famous, and fans who encountered oddities and unusual trinkets would invariably think of him. And, of course, behind nearly every single antique pop bottle was a person who said, “I know who would like this!” His sense of wonder inspired equal wonder in and of itself. It was infectious.
Maybe all the many things that surrounded him were just an extension of the countless people he loved and who loved him.

How do we sum up the career of Timothy P?

As a generous collaborator, Timothy P was a part of numerous musical groups and recordings. He made his first recording, “I’m Timmy Irvin,” for his dad on Father's Day at age 5 or 6. He went on to be part of bands like the Shattertones and Mackinaw Valley Boys, making music with childhood best friend Huey Landry and central Illinois acts like Pork and the Havana Ducks. There's no doubt that these influences led to Timothy P. and the Rural Route Three. Although Illinois was home, they moved west to liven up Colorado’s music scene. Dear friend and musician partner in crime, Jon Chandler, captured the essence of those days by writing, “In the 1970s and 80s Honky Tonk fever had taken over America, and Colorado was filled with great roadhouses and bars that packed people in like sardines. Tim was then, and I think remains in my mind, the best showman and pure entertainer I’d ever seen. Each song was a production. Each skit was hilarious. The audiences were part and parcel of the act, and they loved Tim and the boys with pure abandon.” Although most might agree that seeing TPRR3 live was where the magic happened, they recorded several fine albums, including Utah Moon (1976), Hot On The Trail, Live At The Little Bear, and Rural Route Heaven (1988).

Career highlights included winning the 1986 Marlboro Music Tour, which allowed the band to open for George Strait, Ricky Scaggs, and Alabama in McNichols Arena. We can’t forget the official victory party for the Denver Broncos after their 1999 Super Bowl victory. According to the Denver Post, “True to their reputation as Denver's ultimate party band, Timothy P. (Tim Irvin) and the boys transformed the championship rally into a massive open-air concert, matching the high-octane energy of the thousands of fans packed into the city blocks”.

As his musical interests evolved and his network expanded, Timothy collaborated with a variety of fellow artists. He and Jon Ims produced After the War, a poignant reflection of his service in Vietnam that has become an anthem for thousands of veterans. He had the honor of performing this piece for President Bill Clinton at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and performed it live for decades at military cemeteries on Veteran’s Day. He was always open to musical adventure, and constantly found himself flying or driving to remarkable gigs, including performing western music in Boston for the William I. Koch Western Art Collection, grabbing Ernie Martinez to fly cross country to perform at the behest of his co-worker Jennifer during her father’s final days, headlining and championing Mike The Headless Chicken Days in Fruita, CO, singing carols on the corner of 16th and Welton in downtown Denver with Liz Masterson, and assembling a six-piece band to celebrate the return of live music to the Lakewood Cultural Center Amphitheatre following the Covid pandemic.

Among his many musical partners, Jon Chandler and Ernie Martinez joined him to create countless tunes together. Who can forget the aforementioned Mike the Headless Chicken? Or the KYGO-FM chart-topping Christmas ballad, I Want My Daddy Back? Or certainly The Night Before Christmas performed in seven separate movements of bluegrass music?

For many, it just wasn’t the holidays without going to the Lakewood Cultural Center to see Timothy P. Irvin and the Rocky Mountain Stocking Stuffers, an eleven-piece bluegrass orchestra handpicked by Tim to spread Christmas Cheer. He traveled the country with Flash Cadillac and brought dozens of mini concerts into the classroom for his students at Longview High School. He held shows on Elvis’s birthday at tiny Nick’s Café in Lakewood. He performed on magnificent stages and on flatbed trucks. He sang before audiences of a half-million, and he sang before audiences of a half-hundred, yet each time he appeared on stage, his goal was the same: to entertain. He achieved and exceeded that goal time and time again. He was the very best at it.

Timothy Patrick Irvin had a heart even bigger than his personality, which he generously shared with wit, humor, charm, and song. For a few of us, he was so much more than a performer, more than a quirky character; he was the best of the best, “Uncle Stinky,” “Brother Tim,” “Gruncle,” “Papa,” a patient husband and the proudest dad who gifted us with the most genuine unconditional love. We will miss him greatly.