Photo from the 2018 Relix Live Music Conference

Dan Parise, a legendary live event producer who worked on the Jammy Awards, passed away on Aug. 24 due to cardiac arrest. He was 61 years old. According to Variety, the cause of death was confirmed by a rep from Roc Nation, who Parise worked with on many shows.

Parise had worked in the industry for decades and produced many celebrated events, including the iHeart Radio Festival, the Global Citizen Festival, The Concert for New York City and many more. For his work on the concert film Beyonce & Jay-Z: On the Run, Parise received both a Grammy and Emmy nomination, for “Best Music Film” and “Outstanding Special Class” respectively. He also was awarded an Emmy nomination for his work on “12-12-12: A Concert for Sandy Relief,” which occurred at Madison Square Garden on the heels of Hurricane Sandy.

MSG released a statement in response to Parise’s passing. “We are deeply saddened by the passing of legendary live event producer, Dan Parise,” read the statement. “From ‘The Concert for New York City’, ’12-12-12: A Concert for Sandy Relief’ to the annual Z100’s Jingle Ball and the countless concerts and once in a lifetime live events he produced at The Garden, his impact and legacy in the entertainment industry will continue to live on for generations to come.”

Parise also worked as a producer on the last four editions of the Jammy Awards (2004-2006, 2008), an event co-created by concert promoter and Relix publisher Peter Shapiro and Relix editor-in-chief Dean Budnick.

“Danny made so many things happen that no one else could make happen,” recalls Shapiro. “If you had a big idea, to put on some kind of crazy event, he was the singular person you wanted to help you make that idea and that event come to life.”

“Dan Parise was a pro’s pro,” adds Budnick. “In 2004, we moved the Jammys from Roseland [Ballroom] to the Theater at Madison Square Garden. We were ambitious but understaffed. However, any concerns we might have had about stepping up our game were allayed during that very first meeting with Dan. The color-coded show rundown he created to identify the various production elements was a thing of beauty. The other thing I’ll remember is that even though he was actively overseeing dozens of moving parts, Dan made time throughout the night to check out the music. He was a true believer.”

“Dan was a one of a kind person, so his passing is a very big loss for all of us who love music and love to come up with big, hard to pull off ideas,” Shapiro continued. “He is going to be missed by many, many of whom didn’t know Danny but are going to miss the impact he had behind the curtain.”

In 2018, Parise sat on a panel at the Relix Live Music Conference titled “Building Business In The Music Space — Smells Like Entrepreneurial Spirit” alongside Shapiro, Ami Spishock and Danny Clinch (and moderated by Budnick). Watch his appearance below.