Veteran Music Manager Peter Katsis, Who Guided Major Acts, Dies at 69

Chicago native Peter Katsis launched his music-industry career in the early 1980s, managing the synth-pop group Ministry and serving as an A&R executive at Trax Precision Records, where he booked dance-music acts such as Marshal Jefferson and Adonis. He moved to Los Angeles in 1990, handling artists like General Public, the Cramps, and the jazz duo Tuck and Patti. In 1997 he became a partner at the Firm alongside Jeff Kwatinetz, playing a key role in the success of the Backstreet Boys, Korn, Limp Bizkit, 30 Seconds to Mars, Audioslave and others, even earning a Pollstar Award for the Backstreet Boys’ Millennium tour design.

From 2008 to 2014 he co-founded Prospect Park Entertainment, working with the Smashing Pumpkins, Jane’s Addiction and Ice Cube, before a contentious split with Kwatinetz in 2015 that was later repaired. In his later years he managed Morrissey’s notable tours, Liz Phair’s 2023 anniversary shows, and continued collaborations with the Pumpkins and other acts. Katsis died on Thursday from complications of congestive heart failure at age 69, leaving behind his sister Anastasia and son Ian.