John Cossette, 54, Grammy Awards Producer
Today ends as it began, with the announcement that someone I knew has died. John Cossette, 54, was the son of legendary producer Pierre Cossette. John worked with his father for years producing the Grammys, then took the reins when Pierre was too ill to work. Pierre passed away last year, and now John, way too early, has followed him. I had dinner with John last fall, ironically, at Elaine’s with Elaine Kaufman. John was very excited that his first Broadway musical, “Million Dollar Quartet,” had done so well. He had a lot of plans for more shows, and to follow in the footsteps of Pierre, who’d received a Tony Award for “The Will Rogers Follies.” What a shame. Condolences to John’s wife and daughters. As for the Grammys, I suppose they will now fall entirely to Ken Ehrlich, who was Pierre’s protege.
I first met John in the 5th grade. We played baseball together and were friends through high school. John was always an extremely bright yet light-hearted guy. In baseball he had more character than talent, and that character took him a long way. He was so funny. And wise beyond his years. He knew All in the Family was cool right away. He saw Jethro Tull at the Civic in the 7th grade. He understood complex math and politics. He was comfortable with country ballplayers and Hollywood stars. And he never looked down on anyone. He will be missed.