London-born promoter of The Rolling Stones, Queen, and KISS passes away
Nick Panaseiko Sr. was a lifelong promoter of local acts you might not have heard of and some you surely have.
He brought mega rock band KISS to Canada throughout the 70s, including a concert in London in 1974, just as they launched into superstardom.
His son, Jay, then a year old, was at the event in his father's arms, the first of many KISS shows he would see over the next half-decade.
Jay Panaseiko
Jay Panaseiko seen in London, Ont. on Aug. 1, 2025. (Sean Irvine/CTV News Windsor)
But KISS was not the only band Nick would come to know during a lifetime of music promotion.
'Freddie Mercury, Blondie, Phil Collins, Etta James and, yes, KISS', Jay said as he pointed at pictures of stars in a book on his father written by Bob Klanac.
'And this isn't even a drop in the water of all the people he worked with.'
It is not an exaggeration. Super promoter and fashion-forward Nick worked with the Rolling Stones and, on the other side of the music spectrum, Liberace.
Nick Panaseiko Sr
Nick Panaseiko Sr. seen alongside Freddie Mercury. (Provided by Jay Panaseiko & Panaseiko Family)
But at his core, Nick Panaseiko was a hometown boy who found his way back to the Forest City.
He passed away here on Thursday, on his terms, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.
'I miss him already,' reflected a grieving Jay.
Also a music promoter, Jay takes pride in his father's famous connections. But he contends those connections do not form his father's legacy.
Instead, he marvels at his dad's achievements at home, where, later in life, he mentored and promoted local acts.
'He knew what the band had to do to get there. And he was able to guide them, consult with them and drive them that way.'
Nick Panaseiko
Nick Panaseiko seen alongside Liberace. (Provided by Jay Panaseiko & Panaseiko Family)
Nick Sr. would receive platinum and a gold record from KISS for his support, and a lifetime achievement award from artists in London.
'I mean, the fact that he was travelling and zooming around with The WHO or Queen or whatever, that's fantastic. Like, I mean, that's the height of heights, right?' said Mario Circelli, the chair of the London Music Hall of Fame.
'I mean the impact, the fingerprints that he left on the local music community over four decades, well, that's really why he's enshrined as a Forest City London Music Award Lifetime Achievement recipient.'
Nick Panaseiko Sr
Nick Panaseiko Sr. seen alongside Mick Jagger. (Provided by Jay Panaseiko & Panaseiko Family)
An achievement Jay will carry with pride, as he emerges from his father's shadow.
'It was hard for me because I was always shadowed by his greatness, and now I think he's shining above me and down on me,' he said.
While there are no public funeral plans for Nick Panaseiko Sr., a posthumous fundraising concert is being considered for the fall.
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