Pierre Cossette, “Father of the Grammies” Dies at 85

Pierre Cossette, an entertainment mogul, who was called the “Father” of the television Grammy Award ceremony has died at the age of 85 of congestive heart failure. Cossette was the producer of the Grammy Awards from its beginning on TV in 1971 until 2005 when he retired. He was also a Broadway producer of the Tony Award-winning Will Rogers Follies, and a producer of TV series that starred Andy Williams, Sammy Davis Jr., Glen Campbell and rock oldies group Sha Na Na.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) does not mean that your heart has stopped. It does mean that the heart is unable to pump enough blood to totally fulfill the oxygen needs of the body. Over 5 million Americans suffer from CHF, and over 300,000 die of this disease each year. There are many causes of CHF- all of which affect the ability of the heart to pump effectively. The leading causes are:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD)- Narrowing of the blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood. This can lead to chest pain (angina) and heart attacks, which affect the heart’s ability to pump as strongly.
• High blood pressure (hypertension)- Causes the heart to have to work harder to expel blood from the heart. Over time this damages the heart muscle.
• Cardiomyopathies- Toxins or infections that damage and weaken the heart muscle.
• Faulty heart valves
• Heart birth defects
• Abnormal heart rhythms.

The symptoms of congestive heart failure include:

CHF is a chronic disease, needing lifelong treatment, but treatment can greatly improve the quality of life for patients. Treatment is obviously dependent on the cause of the CHF and only your doctor can determine what the most appropriate treatment for you.

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