The list of bands Peter Katsis, once named the “Best manager in music” by Vanity Fair, managed at various points in his iconic career is a who’s who of Hit Parader distinguished alumni – Guns ‘N’ Roses, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Smashing Pumpkins, Ministry, Audioslave, Bush, Jane’s Addiction, Ice Cube and more – as well as Backstreet Boys, Morrissey, Liz Phair and others. The incredible diversity of artists he worked with is a testament to his passion for music. The number of conversations we had over the years about David Bowie and the artists we lovingly argued about being “Overrated or Underrated” in a game we played in our weekly Friday night hangs at Chateau Marmont covered the entire span of the rock era since 1955. He could speak about James Brown, Iggy Pop or the house music scene in Chicago, his hometown and where his career started as a talent buyer, as eloquently as he could on any band he worked with.
As a manager, Katsis earned his lofty praise by pulling off crazy stuff like bringing Audioslave to Cuba to play to 70,000 fans in 2005, and holding a tour launch party for Korn at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, a soiree forever etched in music industry lore for Axl Rose showing up unannounced at one in the morning. Katsis said even he didn’t know Rose, who he would later work with, was coming.
One thing about Katsis, he believed passionately and fervently in the artists he worked with. No one was just a check to him. When I asked him repeatedly why he continued to work with the universally despised Morrissey, he defended him staunchly as a legendary songwriter (which no one argues) and a person (that is very arguable, ha).
The fact he would defend everybody is one of the reasons that, ironically, while he worked with controversial artists at times, he was so universally loved. Years after he worked with the Pumpkins or Korn he remained good friends with the band members, like Billy Corgan.
A larger-than-life figure, in many ways, the 6’6” Katsis was also known for his incredible spirit, humor and generosity. We spent New Year’s Eve together in 2019 with a group of friends. He bought three bottles of Dom for the table, $2,000 dollars later no one was having more fun than Katsis as he set off sparklers on the table. If one of the reasons to be in the music business is to satiate your inner child and never fully grow up, Katsis was a master at that. A brilliant manager, a loving brother to his sister Anastasia and an absolutely devoted father to his son Ian, he took his responsibilities very seriously, but he also never stopped having fun and loving life. And he never stopped being there for his friends. He would come out to shows to support friends, he loved listening to new music and was working with multiple new acts –including Devora and the Perfect Junkies.
I was fortunate to spend a lot of time with Ozzy over the years. And I remember thinking when he passed, as much as it was a loss, Ozzy sucked every bit out of life that he could. As a close friend of Katsis later in life, who got to talk to him often and see his exuberant joy and ridiculously large sense of humor just hanging out and at shows and parties, I can absolutely share the same about my friend Peter Katsis, he loved life as much as it loved him back.
