A towering figure in the symphonic rock world has died at the age of 73.
According to an announcement shared on Facebook, Jeans ‘n Classics founder Peter Brennan passed away peacefully at home on Sept. 29, 2025, after a courageous battle with cancer. His death leaves a lasting void in the music and arts community he helped shape for decades.
Born in England and raised in Ontario, he pursued formal music studies before embarking on a career that spanned touring, producing, and ultimately creating Jeans ‘n Classics, one of North America’s most unique musical collectives — a fusion of rock and symphonic performance that drew devoted audiences for more than 30 years.
The group described him as a man who saw every stage, every orchestra, and every concert hall as “the best gig ever.” That sense of gratitude and wonder, they said, defined not only his career but also his life offstage, where he was deeply tied to family, friends, and his local arts scene.
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On the post, musicians are flooding the comments with condolences for Brennan’s family, calling him a “tremendous loss for the world of music.”
“I managed orchestras for 30 years and had an 18-year working relationship with Peter with three of them: West Virginia, Dayton, and Orlando. Peter was one of the best people I met and was a great friend of the orchestra field, with his visionary blending of the rock and symphonic worlds through Jeans ‘n Classics. This is a tremendous loss for the world of music. My condolences and deepest sympathy to Peter’s family and many friends, colleagues, and bandmates. Rest in peace, and know you touched so many with the joy and beauty of your music,” wrote one colleague.
Another musician wrote, “Oh, this makes me so sad. One of my favorite musicians I’ve worked with. When I was a young operations manager, he would sit on the phone with me and answer every email, no matter how small or silly the question was.”
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“This news makes me so unbelievably sad. Peter was one of the kindest, sweetest human beings I’ve ever known. The world is a lesser place having lost him,” wrote a third musician.
Brennan is survived by wife Sharon, daughter Jessica and her partner Shawn Mac Innis, and his soon-to-be-born beloved grandchild.
Highlights of his career included performances with internationally renowned orchestras, but nothing, according to his colleagues, compared to the special meaning of returning to play for the hometown crowd in London, Ontario.
A celebration of his life will take place on Oct. 6 at The Grand Theatre, with family and friends inviting fans and supporters to pay their respects. Donations in his memory can be made to The Grand Theatre, London; Habitat for Humanity Heartland Ontario; the Donkey Sanctuary of Canada; or “a local arts organization you love.”
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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