Peter Katsis, a music industry manager whose 35-year career touched an unusually broad range of artists, died Thursday from complications of congestive heart failure.
A rep confirmed the news to Variety. He was 69.
Katsis got his start in his early twenties in 1980s Chicago, managing the band Ministry during its early synth-pop days, before the group became a leading force in industrial music.
He was also active in the city’s emerging dance-music scene at the time, working as an A&R executive at Trax Precision Records and booking early gigs for house pioneers Marshall Jefferson and Adonis.
In 1990 he relocated to Los Angeles, where he worked with acts including English Beat spinoff General Public, the Cramps, and jazz duo Tuck and Patti.
His career reached new heights in 1997 when he became a partner at the powerhouse management company The Firm, working alongside CEO Jeff Kwatinetz to help guide the careers of Backstreet Boys, Korn, Enrique Iglesias, 30 Seconds to Mars, Snoop Dogg, OneRepublic, Audioslave and Limp Bizkit, among others.
His touring expertise helped move the Backstreet Boys from arenas into stadiums, and he won a Pollstar Award for Most Creative Stage Design for the group’s “Millennium” tour.
During the same period, he became a major figure in the nu-metal scene, managing Korn and Limp Bizkit alongside Jared Leto’s 30 Seconds to Mars and Audioslave, the band featuring former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell and members of Rage Against the Machine.
From 2008 to 2014, Katsis co-founded Prospect Park Entertainment with Kwatinetz and Rich Frank, continuing to work with several of his existing clients along with the Smashing Pumpkins, Jane’s Addiction and Ice Cube.
His 25-year partnership with Kwatinetz ended in a bitter split in 2015, though the two eventually reconciled and worked together again in later years.
In his more recent years, Katsis continued managing the Smashing Pumpkins and Jane’s Addiction, while adding Morrissey, Liz Phair, Bush, 311, Pentatonix and 5 Seconds of Summer to his roster.
He’s credited with overseeing what’s considered Morrissey’s most productive touring era since the early 1990s, including two nights at the Hollywood Bowl, a five-night London run and a Broadway residency.
He also helped steer the Smashing Pumpkins back to arena-level touring and oversaw Liz Phair’s 2023 tour marking the 30th anniversary of her album Exile in Guyville.
Katsis is survived by his sister, Anastasia Katsis, and his son, Ian.
