Peter Katsis, the music manager who helped guide the careers of artists including the Backstreet Boys, Limp Bizkit and the Smashing Pumpkins, died on Thursday at age 69, according to Rolling Stone.
Mark Beaven, co-founder of Advanced Alternative Media, confirmed the news to Rolling Stone and paid tribute to Katsis on social media, calling him a legendary manager and saying he will be deeply missed.
Katsis began building his career early, discovering and managing the industrial rock band Ministry when he was 23, according to MUBU TV. In the mid-1980s, he also worked as an agent for Chicago house artists such as Marshall Jefferson and Adonis, helping arrange some of their first shows in New York and London.
He later moved to Los Angeles and became a partner at The Firm, where he worked with a long list of acts including Enrique Iglesias, Korn, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Snoop Dogg, One Direction, Audioslave and others. After joining YM&U Group in Beverly Hills, Katsis managed artists including Morrissey, Bush, Fever 333, Jane’s Addiction, 311 and Liz Phair.
In a past interview with Barrett Media, Katsis said the hardest part of the job was staying true to the music while giving full dedication to both the artist and the audience. He said that work can be physically and emotionally draining, even when much of it happens behind the scenes.
