Pierre Cossette
Encyclopedia
Pierre Maurice Joseph Cossette (December 15, 1923 – September 11, 2009) was a television
executive producer
and Broadway
producer
who brought the Grammy Award
s to television. Cossette produced the first television broadcast of the Grammy Awards in 1971.
Cossette was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame
in 2005. Born in Valleyfield, Quebec
, he also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
.
His autobiography, Another Day In Showbiz: One Producer's Journey, tells the story of an unassuming young man from rural Quebec who worked his way to the top of the world of glitz and glamour, galvanizing the music industry in the process. He offers his vision of the industry, detailing stars, directors, producers, movies, TV companies, record companies, and the art, creation, and exhibition of stage productions such as The Will Rogers Follies, The Scarlet Pimpernell, and the Voice of Woody Guthrie"'.
A Las Vegas legend for booking the world's biggest acts including the Rat Pack
, Mae West
, and many others. He went from agent to producer with the help and support of entertainment giant Harry Cohn
.
Cossette was one of the 20th century's most accomplished and versatile producers, having been a major player in booking Las Vegas' top shows, bringing The Grammy Awards to TV, and managing comedic giants such as Dick Shawn and Buddy Hackett. His son, John Cossette
, became the producer of the Grammy Awards following Pierre Cossette's retirement.
Cossette died on September 11, 2009, in Montreal
. He was 85 years old.
He is survived by his second wife, Mary, two sons from a previous marriage, including producer John Cossette
; five stepchildren and eight grandchildren.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
and Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
producer
Theatrical producer
A theatrical producer is the person ultimately responsible for overseeing all aspects of mounting a theatre production. The independent producer will usually be the originator and finder of the script and starts the whole process...
who brought the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s to television. Cossette produced the first television broadcast of the Grammy Awards in 1971.
Cossette was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame , located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians...
in 2005. Born in Valleyfield, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, he also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
.
His autobiography, Another Day In Showbiz: One Producer's Journey, tells the story of an unassuming young man from rural Quebec who worked his way to the top of the world of glitz and glamour, galvanizing the music industry in the process. He offers his vision of the industry, detailing stars, directors, producers, movies, TV companies, record companies, and the art, creation, and exhibition of stage productions such as The Will Rogers Follies, The Scarlet Pimpernell, and the Voice of Woody Guthrie"'.
A Las Vegas legend for booking the world's biggest acts including the Rat Pack
Rat Pack
The Rat Pack was a group of actors originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a later variation of the group, after Bogart's death, that called itself "the summit" or "the clan," featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean...
, Mae West
Mae West
Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
, and many others. He went from agent to producer with the help and support of entertainment giant Harry Cohn
Harry Cohn
Harry Cohn was the American president and production director of Columbia Pictures.-Career:Cohn was born to a working-class German-Jewish family in New York City. In later years, he appears to have disparaged his heritage...
.
Cossette was one of the 20th century's most accomplished and versatile producers, having been a major player in booking Las Vegas' top shows, bringing The Grammy Awards to TV, and managing comedic giants such as Dick Shawn and Buddy Hackett. His son, John Cossette
John Cossette
John Cossette was an American theater and television producer known for his work on televised award shows, especially the television broadcasts of the Grammy Awards....
, became the producer of the Grammy Awards following Pierre Cossette's retirement.
Cossette died on September 11, 2009, in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. He was 85 years old.
He is survived by his second wife, Mary, two sons from a previous marriage, including producer John Cossette
John Cossette
John Cossette was an American theater and television producer known for his work on televised award shows, especially the television broadcasts of the Grammy Awards....
; five stepchildren and eight grandchildren.