Entertainment Producer. Best known for bringing the Grammy Awards to television. With a background as a music, Broadway, and television producer, talent agent, and manager, Cossette convinced reluctant executives at ABC Television in 1971 to televise the Grammy Awards ceremony live. The Grammy telecast previously had been a delayed broadcast of recorded performances, and had not been a commercial success. Cossette was able to sign Andy Williams as an original host of the ABC program, because he had been Williams' manager. The Grammy Awards show was then presented on ABC for two years, before moving to CBS. Cossette produced the show for thirty-five years, until 2005, before passing the job on to his son. He also was personal manager for such stars as Ann-Margret, Vic Damone, Dick Shawn, and Rowan & Martin. With Lou Adler, Cossette also had founded Dunhill Records in 1964, where they released music by artists such as Steppenwolf, Johnny Rivers, the Mamas and the Papas, and Three Dog Night. Cossette used $150,000 from the sale of his share of Dunhill Records to ABC when he purchased the rights to broadcast the Grammy Awards. He died of congestive heart failure at the age of 85 at Barrie Memorial Hospital in Montreal.
Entertainment Producer. Best known for bringing the Grammy Awards to television. With a background as a music, Broadway, and television producer, talent agent, and manager, Cossette convinced reluctant executives at ABC Television in 1971 to televise the Grammy Awards ceremony live. The Grammy telecast previously had been a delayed broadcast of recorded performances, and had not been a commercial success. Cossette was able to sign Andy Williams as an original host of the ABC program, because he had been Williams' manager. The Grammy Awards show was then presented on ABC for two years, before moving to CBS. Cossette produced the show for thirty-five years, until 2005, before passing the job on to his son. He also was personal manager for such stars as Ann-Margret, Vic Damone, Dick Shawn, and Rowan & Martin. With Lou Adler, Cossette also had founded Dunhill Records in 1964, where they released music by artists such as Steppenwolf, Johnny Rivers, the Mamas and the Papas, and Three Dog Night. Cossette used $150,000 from the sale of his share of Dunhill Records to ABC when he purchased the rights to broadcast the Grammy Awards. He died of congestive heart failure at the age of 85 at Barrie Memorial Hospital in Montreal.
Bio by: Steven Tynan
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