Frederick "Joe" Priesnitz

Frederick "Joe" Priesnitz

The history and spirit of the Austin music scene can be read in the life of Frederick "Joe" Priesnitz. A pioneer in the Austin music community, Joe died at home on Saturday, April 25th from complications of Multiple Myeloma. He was 66. Joe worked for more than forty years supporting and managing the careers of clients who earned Grammys and made platinum records, and in the process helped create the infrastructure for the Live Music Capital of the World. His efforts to promote and protect his clients' careers set a gold standard in the Texas music industry.

Joe was born on April 16, 1954 in Carlsbad, New Mexico, to Frederick "Fritz" and Marian (Eaker) Priesnitz. His father, who worked for the Potash Company of America for forty years, and mother settled in Carlsbad in the 1930s. Joe was the baby and the only boy, with three older sisters. He maintained lifelong friendships from his childhood in Carlsbad (and continued to gather friends across every phase of his life.) He attended New Mexico State University, where he was an active member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

While at NMSU, Joe was elected to three terms as fraternity social chairman, mainly because he knew all the regional musicians and how to pair the right band with the party. Joe got so many calls from other organizations looking for bands that he effectively ran a small agency from his college dorm room. He had big plans to become a dentist, and in 1976 earned a BS in Microbiology with a Minor in Photojournalism. During this time, Joe volunteered as a stagehand on the student activities committee and helped to produce campus shows including Bobby Goldsboro, Paul Williams, Olivia Newton-John and Neil Diamond.

After graduating, Joe was appointed Activities Director of the Associated Students of NMSU. That required him to be enrolled, so he started graduate business school instead of heading off to dental school; the die had been cast. Working closely with Barbara Hubbard, Director of Special Events at NMSU, Joe worked on the shows presented by the University as well as those he promoted for ASNMSU. He was responsible for all concerts, dances, film and lecture series presented by student government. On the concert side, 22 year-old Joe booked, promoted and produced shows by Pure Prairie League, Doug Kershaw, Waylon Jennings and Jessie Colter, Ronnie Milsap, Blackfoot, Heart, Rick Springfield, Jefferson Starship, John Hartford, Steve Martin, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, Ace, Harry Chapin, Al Jarreau, and Mary Travers. Joe accompanied Barbara Hubbard to the Billboard Talent Forum as well as many other trade shows and conferences. With the experience and connections established that year, he decided to give the music business a try.

Joe moved to Austin, Texas in 1977, hired by Moon Hill Management as a booking agent to establish their college booking department. Moon Hill was a full service company with artist management, business management, publishing and booking all under one roof. At the time, they consulted and booked the talent for the newly created PBS show "Austin City Limits." Joe represented Rusty Wier, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Stephen Fromholz, Willis Alan Ramsey, Kiwi, Denim, Vince Bell, Mother Of Pearl, Omar and The Howlers and Greezy Wheels. He also booked various tours for The Lost Gonzo Band, Gary P. Nunn, Delbert McClinton and David Allen Coe with the Tennessee Hat Band. In late 1979, Joe left Moon Hill to co-found Rock Arts, Ltd. with Tim Neece and a former Moon Hill associate.

Rock Arts became the preeminent regional/national booking agency for local original talent. Clients included Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Lou Ann Barton, Christopher Cross, Omar and The Howlers, Texas, Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Kinky Friedman, Extreme Heat, Too Smooth, The Lotions, Pressure, Mother of Pearl, Eric Johnson, Charlie Sexton, The Neptunes, Dash Rip Rock, Cowboy Mouth, The Blue Runners, The Nelsons, David Garza, Willis Alan Ramsey, Eliza Gilkyson, Evan Johns, Ian Moore, Chris Duarte and many more. While still running Rock Arts, he started Joe Priesnitz Artist Management. His first management client was Eric Johnson, and that relationship was still going strong thirty-eight years later at the time of Joe's death. The friendship and working relationship between Joe and Eric can best be described as a sacred bond. Joe also managed David Halley, David Garza, Chris Duarte, Charlie Robison, Kelly Willis and The Gourds, and he taught Music Management and Touring for ten years at Austin Community College.

Joe was as lucky in love as in business, having married two women he adored, both of whom adored him back. Cindi Lazzari was a powerful figure in the Austin music scene in her own right. An entertainment lawyer, Cindi fought tirelessly for artists' rights, helping musicians get out of bad record deals and more. She was the talent buyer for AquaFest when she met Joe in the late 1980's, and they married in 1991. She and Joe worked side-by-side with many clients over the course of their happy marriage, until Cindi's death from cancer in 2007. Barbara Nadalini and Joe met later that year, through their children. They married in 2011, survived a combined household of teenagers, enjoyed travel and a large network of friends and family, and always felt lucky to be with each other, despite Joe's seven-year battle with cancer.

Joe is survived by his wife, Barbara, his loving children Carter (Rachel) Watkins, Enzo Priesnitz, Anna Copeland Lazzari and Francesca Nadalini, and by a precious granddaughter, Winona Watkins. He is also sur

vived by his three sisters, Carol (Dick, deceased) Mound, Elaine (Randy) Sabre, Kathy (Karl) Ray, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Joe is notably survived by a broad and eclectic group of friends that he truly cherished. Joe was elegant, honest and devoted; he was a true gentleman.

Any gathering to celebrate Joe's life will be a definite party with poor social distancing, so we will wait until the timing is right. We will post the information on followuponjoe.info and on Facebook. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Orlowski Myeloma Research at MD Anderson, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 429, Houston, TX 77030.