Peter Katsis, Manager of Backstreet Boys & Korn, Dies
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- Peter Katsis died Thursday at 69 from complications of congestive heart failure, a rep confirmed to Variety.
- Over a 35-year career, Katsis co-founded management companies The Firm (joined 1997) and Prospect Park (2008-2014) and managed a roster spanning the Backstreet Boys, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Ice Cube, Jane's Addiction, Morrissey, and Ministry.
- Katsis helped guide the Backstreet Boys from arenas to stadiums and won a Pollstar Award for Most Creative Stage Design for the group's "Millennium" tour.
- Katsis began his career in the early '80s managing Chicago's pre-industrial Ministry and booking house acts like Marshall Jefferson and Adonis as an A&R executive at Trax Precision Records.
- Under Katsis, Morrissey had what the source calls "the most productive era of his career since the early '90s," including two Hollywood Bowl nights, a five-night London stand, and a Broadway mini-residency.
- Katsis helped the Smashing Pumpkins return to arena status and oversaw Liz Phair's 2023 tour supporting the 30th anniversary of "Exile in Guyville."
- Katsis and The Firm CEO Jeff Kwatinetz had a bitter split in 2015 after a 25-year partnership but later reunited; he is survived by his sister Anastasia Katsis and son Ian.
Why it matters: Katsis's 35-year roster bridged an unusually wide genre spread — Chicago industrial (Ministry) to pop (Backstreet Boys) to nu-metal (Korn, Limp Bizkit) to alt-rock (Smashing Pumpkins, Jane's Addiction) — and his touring expertise helped the Backstreet Boys scale from arenas to stadiums. His death leaves acts including Morrissey, Smashing Pumpkins, and Liz Phair navigating a leadership change at a moment when several were deep into successful touring cycles.
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