Harry Connick Jr.
{{short description|American singer-songwriter and actor (born 1967)}}
{{pp-blp|small=yes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Harry Connick Jr.
| image = Harry Connick Jr 2024.jpg
| caption = Connick in 2023 / Photo by Georgia Connick
| birth_name = Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr.
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1967|09|11}}
| birth_place = New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
| occupation = {{flat list|
- Singer
- composer
- actor
- television host}}
| years_active = 1977{{ndash}}present
| spouse = {{marriage|Jill Goodacre|1994}}
| children = 3
| father = Harry Connick Sr.
| module = {{Infobox musical artist|embed = yes
| background = solo_singer
| instruments = {{hlist|Vocals|piano}}
| genre = {{hlist|Traditional pop|easy listening|big band|jazz-funk|jazz|show tunes|swing|blue-eyed soul}}
| label = {{hlist|Columbia Records|Verve|Marsalis Music}}
| website = {{URL|harryconnickjr.com}}
}}
}}
Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr.{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=6443202&page=1 |title=Nightline Playlist: Harry Connick Jr. |last=Hapton |work=ABC News |first=Deborah |date=December 12, 2008 |access-date=December 20, 2012 |archive-date=December 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081214043930/http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id%3D6443202%26page%3D1 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }} (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and former television host. As of 2019, he has sold over 30 million records worldwide.{{cite web | author=Verve Label Group | title=Harry Connick, Jr. Announces New Album True Love: A Celebration Of Cole Porter | website=PR Newswire | date=2019-08-09 | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/harry-connick-jr-announces-new-album-true-love-a-celebration-of-cole-porter-300899248.html | access-date=2023-02-07}} Connick is ranked among the top{{nbsp}}60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 16{{nbsp}}million in certified sales.{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=2&table=tblTopArt&action= |title=Top Selling Artists |work=RIAA |access-date=August 1, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725020825/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=2&table=tblTopArt&action= |archive-date=July 25, 2013 }} He has had seven top{{nbsp}}20 U.S. albums, and ten number-one U.S. jazz albums, earning more number-one albums than any other artist in U.S. jazz chart history as of 2009.[https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/268970/chart-beat-black-eyed-peas-hello-goodbye-keith-urban Chart Beat], Billboard, April 9, 2009
Connick's best-selling album in the United States is his Christmas album When My Heart Finds Christmas (1993). His highest-charting album is Only You (2004), which reached No.{{nbsp}}5 in the U.S. and No.{{nbsp}}6 in Britain. He has won three Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards. He played Leo Markus, the husband of Grace Adler (played by Debra Messing) on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace from 2002 to 2006.
Connick began his acting career playing a tail gunner in the World War II film Memphis Belle (1990). He played a serial killer in Copycat (1995) before being cast as a fighter pilot in the blockbuster Independence Day (1996). Connick's first role as a leading man was in Hope Floats (1998) with Sandra Bullock. He also lent his voice to the animated cult classic The Iron Giant (1999). His first thriller film since Copycat was Basic (2003) with John Travolta. Additionally, he played a violent ex-husband in Bug (2006), and starred in two romantic comedies: P.S. I Love You (2007), and New in Town (2009) with Renée Zellweger. In 2011, he appeared in the family film Dolphin Tale as Dr. Clay Haskett and in its 2014 sequel.
Early life
Harry Connick Jr. was born and raised in New Orleans.{{cite web|url=http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=47302 |title=Internet Broadway Database: Harry Connick, Junior. Credits on Broadway |publisher=Internet Broadway Database |access-date=July 2, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070419212430/http://ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=47302 |archive-date=April 19, 2007 }} His mother, Anita Frances Livingston (née Levy),Stated on Finding Your Roots, PBS, March 25, 2012 was a lawyer and judge in New Orleans. His father, Harry Connick Sr. (1926–2024), was the district attorney of Orleans Parish from 1973 to 2003.{{cite web |url=http://www.law.tulane.edu/tlsNews/newsItem.aspx?id=1422 |title=Tulane Law School Establishes Scholarship Honoring Harry Connick and the late Anita Connick |publisher=Law.tulane.edu |date=January 6, 2004 |access-date=July 25, 2010}} He has an older sister named Suzanna.{{cite web |title=this is Suzanna Jamison, MD, FACP - she joined the army 35 years ago and was recently promoted to Colonel in the United States Army Reserve. and, in case you didn't know... SHE'S MY BIG SISTER. i'm posting this because i am beyond proud of her. i love you, sis. ❤️❤️❤️ #usa #usarmy #proud #hero |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/B3p3MmEpSTg/?hl=en |website=instagram.com}}
His parents also owned a record store. Connick's father was a Roman Catholic of Northern Irish descent,[http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/life_and_entertainment/2009/02/02/2_NEW_CONNICK.ART_ART_02-02-09_D4_4DCOCL7.html Musician balancing his work as actor|The Columbus Dispatch]. Dispatch.com (February 2, 2009). Retrieved on May 8, 2012.{{cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/film-tv/harry-connick-jr-proud-of-his-co-down-roots-28734758.html|title=Harry Connick Jr proud of his Co Down roots|date=April 6, 2012|access-date=September 10, 2020|work=Belfast Telegraph}} while his mother, who died of ovarian cancer when he was 13 years old, was Jewish and from New York;{{cite news |last=Feher |first=Heather |title=Connick Is Mr. Right for 'Grace' |publisher=Zap2it |date=September 26, 2002 |url=http://www.silligirl.com/zap2it/bl11.php |access-date=December 24, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716071146/http://www.silligirl.com/zap2it/bl11.php|archive-date=July 16, 2011 }}Stephanie Mansfield, [http://www.connick.com/hcjr/pages/articles/publications/vogue0498.shtml "Deconstructing Harry"], Vogue, April 1998: pp. 211, 214, 216; online posting, connick.com. Retrieved July 17, 2007.{{cite news|url=https://people.com/celebrity/harry-connick-jr-opens-up-about-the-death-of-his-mom/|title=Harry Connick Jr. Says Losing His Mom at Age 13 Was 'Unquestionably the Hardest Thing That's Ever Happened to Me'|first=Danielle|last=Anderson|publisher=People|date=September 16, 2016|accessdate=January 26, 2024}} his part-Jewish heritage would later inspire him to play Jewish doctor Leo on Will & Grace. In addition to his career as a prosecutor, Connick Sr. also had a career performing weekly gigs at French Quarter Clubs.{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/harry-connick-sr-dead-97-c4dda4469c7b4fbfb4c1773fc17ea6c2|title=Harry Connick Sr., longtime New Orleans district attorney and singer's dad, dies at 97|publisher=Associated Press|date=January 25, 2024|accessdate=January 26, 2024}} Connick and his sister, Suzanna, were raised in the Lakeview neighborhood of New Orleans. Harry Connick began learning to play keyboards at age three, playing publicly at age five, and recording with a local jazz band when he was ten.{{cite news |last=Beuttler |first=Bill |title=When Harry Met Stardom |work=Music |publisher=American Way |date=August 1, 1990 |url=http://billbeuttler.com/work41.htm |access-date=October 2, 2007}} At the age of nine, Connick performed Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 Opus 37 with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra (now the Louisiana Philharmonic).
Later he played a duet with Eubie Blake at the Royal Orleans Esplanade Lounge in New Orleans. The song was "I'm Just Wild About Harry". It was recorded for a Japanese documentary called Jazz Around the World.{{cite web|title=MDHS Eubie Blake Collection, Other items, Harry just wild about song, Eubie |url=http://www.mdhs.org/eubieblake/subs/detail.asp?cat=Other&id=419 |website=Internet Archive Wayback Machine/Maryland Historical Society |access-date=June 1, 2016 |date=16 December 2004 |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041216230152/http://www.mdhs.org/eubieblake/subs/detail.asp?cat=Other&id=419 |archive-date=December 16, 2004 |df=mdy }} The clip was also shown in a Bravo special called Worlds of Harry Connick, Junior. in 1999. His musical talents were developed at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and under the tutelage of Ellis Marsalis Jr. and James Booker.{{cite news|title=James Booker: New Orleans Piano Wizard; 25 Years Gone|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/sal-nunziato/james-booker-new-orleans_b_141712.html|access-date=November 24, 2018|newspaper=The Huffington Post|date=November 6, 2008|author=Sal Nunziato}}{{cite web|title=The Playlist – Review: 'Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius Of James Booker' An Ordinary Doc About An Extraordinary Musician|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/review-bayou-maharajah-the-tragic-genius-of-james-booker-20130729|work=Indiewire|publisher=A SnagFilms Co|access-date=November 24, 2018|author=KEVIN JAGERNAUTH|date=July 30, 2013}}
Connick attended Jesuit High School, Isidore Newman School, Lakeview School, and the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, all in New Orleans. After an unsuccessful attempt studying jazz at Loyola University New Orleans as well as giving recitals in the classical and jazz piano programs at Loyola, he left the city. He lived at the 92nd Street YMHA in New York City while he was a student at Hunter College and the Manhattan School of Music.
There he met Columbia Records executive George Butler, who persuaded him to sign with the label. His first record, Harry Connick Jr., was mainly an album of instrumental standards. He soon acquired a reputation in jazz because of his regular performances at various high-profile New York City venues. His next album, 20, featured vocals and added to his success.
Career
= ''When Harry Met Sally...'', success on charts and in movies =
Connick's reputation was growing, and director Rob Reiner asked him to provide a soundtrack for his romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally... (1989), starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. The soundtrack consisted of several standards, including "It Had to Be You", "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore". The soundtrack earned double-platinum status in the United States. Connick won his first Grammy Award for Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance for his work on the soundtrack.
Connick made his screen debut in Memphis Belle (1990), based on a true story about a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber crew in World War II. In that year, he began a two-year world tour. In addition, he released two albums in July 1990: the instrumental jazz trio album Lofty's Roach Souffle and a big-band album of mostly original songs titled We Are in Love, which also went double platinum. We Are in Love earned him his second consecutive Grammy for Best Jazz Male Vocal.
"Promise Me You'll Remember", his contribution to the Godfather III soundtrack, was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award in 1991. In a year of recognition, he was also nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Performance in a Variety Special for his PBS special Swingin' Out Live, which was also released as a video. In October 1991, he released his third consecutive multi-platinum album, Blue Light, Red Light, on which he wrote and arranged the songs. Also in October 1991, he starred in Little Man Tate, directed by Jodie Foster, playing the friend of a child prodigy who goes to college.
In November 1992, Connick released 25, a solo piano collection of standards that again went platinum. He also re-released the album Eleven. Connick contributed "A Wink and a Smile" to the Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack, released in 1993. His multi-platinum album of holiday songs, When My Heart Finds Christmas, was the best-selling Christmas album in 1993.
= Mid-1990s: funk =
In 1994, Connick decided to branch out. He released She, an album of New Orleans funk that also went platinum. In addition, he released a song called "(I Could Only) Whisper Your Name" for the soundtrack of The Mask, starring Jim Carrey, which is his most successful single in the United States to date.{{Cite news|url=http://www.masterworksbroadway.com/artist/harry-connick-jr/|title=Harry Connick, Jr. {{!}} The Official Masterworks Broadway Site|newspaper=The Official Masterworks Broadway Site|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-25}}
Connick took his funk music on a tour of the United Kingdom in 1994, an effort that did not please some of his fans, who were expecting a jazz crooner. Connick also went on a tour of the People's Republic of China in 1995, playing at the Shanghai Center Theatre. The performance was televised live in China for what became known as the Shanghai Gumbo special. In his third film Copycat (1995), Connick played a serial killer who terrorizes a psychiatrist (played by Sigourney Weaver). The following year, he released his second funk album, Star Turtle, which did not sell as well as previous albums, although it did reach No. 38 on the charts. However, he appeared in the most successful movie of 1996,{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=independenceday.htm |title=Independence Day (1996) |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=May 26, 2010}} Independence Day, with Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum.
= Late 1990s: Jazz and ''Hope Floats'' =
For his 1997 release To See You, Connick recorded original love songs, touring the United States and Europe with a full symphony orchestra backing him and his piano in each city. As part of his tour, he played at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, with his final concert of that tour in Paris being recorded for a Valentine's Day special on PBS in 1998. He also continued his film career, starring in Excess Baggage (1997) opposite Alicia Silverstone and Benicio del Toro.
In May 1998, he had his first leading role in director Forest Whitaker's Hope Floats, with Sandra Bullock being the female lead. In 1999 he released Come By Me, his first album of big band music in eight years, and embarked on a world tour, visiting the United States, Europe, Japan, and Australia. In addition, he provided the voice of Dean McCoppin in the animated film The Iron Giant.
= 2000–2002: Broadway debut, musicals, ''Will & Grace'' =
Connick wrote the score for Susan Stroman's Broadway musical Thou Shalt Not, based on Émile Zola's novel Thérèse Raquin which was written in 2000. The play premiered in 2001. His music and lyrics earned him a Tony Award nomination. He was also the narrator of the film My Dog Skip, released in that year.
In March 2001, Connick starred in a television production of South Pacific with Glenn Close; it was televised on the ABC network. He also starred in Mickey, a movie; John Grisham wrote the screenplay. In October 2001, he released two albums: Songs I Heard, featuring big band re-workings of children's show themes, and 30, featuring Connick on piano with guest appearances by several musical artists. Songs I Heard won Connick a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Album; he toured performing songs from the album, holding matinees. At the performances each parent in attendance had to be accompanied by a child.
In 2002, he received a {{US patent|6348648}} for a "system and method for coordinating music display among players in an orchestra."{{cite web |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US6348648 |title=System and method for coordinating music display among players in an orchestra |access-date=August 17, 2015}} Connick appeared as Grace Adler's boyfriend and later husband, Leo Markus on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace from 2002 to 2006.
= 2003–2005: ''Connick on Piano'' and ''Only You'' =
In July 2003, Connick released his first instrumental album in fifteen years, Other Hours Connick on Piano Volume 1. It was released on Branford Marsalis' new label Marsalis Music leading to a short tour of nightclubs and small theaters. Connick appeared in the film Basic. In October 2003, he released his second Christmas album, Harry for the Holidays; it went gold and reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. He also had a television special on NBC featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Nathan Lane, Marc Anthony, and Kim Burrell. Only You, his seventeenth album for Columbia Records, was released in February 2004. A collection of 1950s and 1960s ballads, Only You, was in the top ten on both sides of the Atlantic and was certified gold in the United States in March 2004. The Only You big band toured the U.S., Australia, with a few stops in Asia. Harry for the Holidays was certified platinum in November 2004.
A music DVD Harry Connick Jr.{{nsmdns}}"Only You" in Concert was released in March 2004, after it had first aired as a Great Performances special on PBS. The special won him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction. The DVD received a Gold & Platinum Music Video{{nsmdns}}Long Form awards from the RIAA in November 2005.
An animated holiday special, The Happy Elf aired on NBC in December 2005; Connick was the composer, the narrator, and one of the executive producers. The show was released on DVD soon afterwards. The holiday special was based on his original song The Happy Elf, from his 2003 album Harry for the Holidays. Another album from Marsalis Music was recorded in 2005, Occasion : Connick on Piano, Volume 2, a duo album with Harry Connick Jr. on piano and Branford Marsalis on saxophone. A music DVD, A Duo Occasion was filmed at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival 2005 in Canada; it was released in November 2005.
He appeared in another episode of the Will & Grace sitcom in November 2005, he was in three more episodes in 2006.
= 2006–2008: ''The Pajama Game'', ''Bug,'' and ''P.S. I Love You'' =
File:Harry Connick 2007 Savannah concert (picture 2).jpg on February 27, 2007]]
Bug, a film directed by William Friedkin, is a psychological thriller filmed in 2005 starring Connick, Ashley Judd, and Michael Shannon. The film was released in 2007. He starred in the Broadway revival of The Pajama Game, produced by the Roundabout Theater Company, along with Michael McKean and Kelli O'Hara, at the American Airlines Theatre in 2006. It ran from February 23 to June 17, 2006; five benefit performances ran rom June 13 to 17. Connick's performance was highly acclaimed; David Rooney wrote in Variety, "With his handsome wholesomeness and those mellifluous Sinatra-esque pipes, it's hard to imagine a leading man more tailor-made for this 1954 show."{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2006/legit/reviews/the-pajama-game-5-1200518102/|website=Variety|first=David|last=Rooney|date=February 23, 2006|title=The Pajama Game|accessdate=February 9, 2022}} The Pajama Game cast recording was nominated for a Grammy, after being released as part of Connick's double disc album Harry on Broadway, Act I.
He hosted The Weather Channel's miniseries 100 Biggest Weather Moments which aired in 2007. He was part of the documentary Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037, released in November 2007. He sat in playing piano on Bob French's 2007 album Marsalis Music Honors Series: Bob French. He appeared in the film P.S. I Love You, released in December 2007.
The third album in the Connick on Piano series, Chanson du Vieux Carré was released in 2007, and Connick received two Grammy nominations for the track "Ash Wednesday" for the Grammy awards in 2008. Chanson du Vieux Carré was released simultaneously with the album Oh, My NOLA. He toured North America and Europe in 2007, and toured Asia and Australia in 2008 as part of his My New Orleans Tour. Connick wrote two songs and did the arrangements for Kelli O'Hara's album which was released in May 2008; he also sang a duet on the recording.{{cite web |last=Scott |first=Brian |url=http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/12186 |title=Kelli O'Hara gets ready to ring in the holidays and prepares for a busy new year; Neal Huff engages in some Trumpery; and Jenn Gambatese enlivens Is He Dead?Feature on |publisher=Theatermania.com |date=November 30, 2007 |access-date=July 25, 2010}} He was the featured singer at the Concert of Hope immediately preceding Pope Benedict XVI's mass at Yankee Stadium in April 2008. He had the starring role of Dr. Dennis Slamon in the Lifetime television film Living Proof (2008). His third Christmas album, What a Night!, was released in November 2008.
Connick has a vast knowledge of musical genres and vocalists, even gospel music. One of his favorite gospel artists is Stellar Award winner and Grammy nominated artist Kim Burrell of Houston. Chris Gray of the Houston Press said, "... when Harry Connick Jr. assembled a symphony orchestra for Pope Benedict XVI's appearance at Yankee Stadium in 2008, he wanted Burrell on vocals"{{cite web|title=Kim Burrell, Houston's Pastor and Gospel Singer to the Stars|url=http://www.houstonpress.com/music/kim-burrell-houstons-pastor-and-gospel-singer-to-the-stars-7802796|website=Houston Press|access-date=January 25, 2016|first=Chris|last=Gray|date=September 29, 2015}}
= 2009–2011: ''New in Town and'' ''Your Songs'' =
File:Flyscooters Rachel Ray Zellweger & Connick Jr. 1-30-09.jpg at the Rachael Ray show, January 30, 2009]]
The film New in Town starring Connick and Renée Zellweger began filming in January 2008; it was released in January 2009. Connick's album Your Songs was released on CD, September 22, 2009. In contrast to Connick's previous albums, this album is a collaboration with a record company producer, the multiple Grammy Award winning music executive Clive Davis.[http://www.vintageguitar.com/newswire/detail.asp?newsID=2005 Harry Connick Jr. Announces New Album Produced by Clive Davis] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20090815163259/http://www.vintageguitar.com/newswire/detail.asp?newsID=2005 |date=August 15, 2009 }}, vintageguitar.com, July 30, 2009
Connick starred in the Broadway revival of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, which opened at the St. James Theatre in November 2011 in previews.Jones, Kenneth.[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/152282-On-a-Clear-Day-Will-Rise-at-Broadways-St-James-Theatre-Nov-12-Harry-Connick-Jr-Stars "On a Clear Day Will Rise at Broadway's St. James Theatre Nov. 12; Harry Connick Jr. Stars"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110701100518/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/152282-On-a-Clear-Day-Will-Rise-at-Broadways-St-James-Theatre-Nov-12-Harry-Connick-Jr-Stars |date=July 1, 2011 }} Playbill, June 29, 2011 It closed in January 2012, after 29 previews and 57 performances.{{cite web|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/on-a-clear-day-you-can-see-forever-490538|website=IBDB|title=On a Clear Day You Can See Forever|accessdate=February 9, 2022}}
Connick appeared on the May 4, 2010, episode of American Idol season 9, where he acted as a mentor for the top 5 finalists. He appeared again the next night on May 5 to perform "And I Love Her". In 2011, he appeared in the family film Dolphin Tale as Dr. Clay Haskett and in its 2014 sequel.
= 2012–2019: ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', ''Harry'', and ''Every Man Should Know'' =
On January 6, 2012, NBC president Robert Greenblatt announced at the Television Critics Association winter press tour that Connick had been cast in a four-episode arc of NBC's long-running legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as new Executive ADA, David Haden, a prosecutor who is assigned a case with Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay).
On June 11, 2013, Connick released a new album of all original music titled Every Man Should Know. Connick debuted the title track live on the May 2, 2013, episode of American Idol and appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show the following week to discuss his new project. A 2013 US summer tour was announced in support of the album.
Connick returned to American Idol to mentor the top four of season 12. He performed "Every Man Should Know" on the results show the following night.[http://tvline.com/2013/05/02/american-idol-top-4-results-recap-amber-kree-david-cook/ American Idol Top 4 Results Recap (Redux): Don't Know Why...There's No Sun Up in the Sky] TV Line, Retrieved August 31, 2013 Connick was on the judging panel for seasons 13,[http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/09/03/american-idol-jennifer-lopez-harry-connick-jr/ Official: J. Lo and Harry Connick Jr. join 'American Idol'] Entertainment Weekly, Retrieved September 3, 2013 14 and 15 of American Idol, airing in 2014 to 2016.
Angels Sing, a family Christmas movie released in November 2013 by Lionsgate, afforded Connick an onscreen collaboration with fellow musician Willie Nelson. The two wrote a special song exclusively for the movie. Shot in Austin, Texas, Angels Sing features actor/musicians Connie Britton, Lyle Lovett, and Kris Kristofferson and is directed by Tim McCanlies, who previously worked with Connick in The Iron Giant.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/film-review-when-angels-sing-1200007499/ |title=SXSW Review 'When Angels Sing' |date=March 12, 2013}}
A one-hour weekday daytime talk show starring Connick called Harry debuted on September 12, 2016. The series ran until May 23, 2018. Connick was nominated for a Daytime Emmy as Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host for both years of the show.{{cite web| website=IMDb|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6002946/reference/| title=Harry|accessdate=July 4, 2024}}
In January 2019, it was announced that Connick was hired by piano instruction software company Playground Sessions as a video instructor.{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2019/01/21/harry-connick-jr-playground-sessions-app/2586733002/ |title=Harry Connick Jr. has a new gig: piano teacher on Playground Sessions app|website=Usatoday.com |date=2019-01-21 |access-date=2019-03-07}}
On October 25, 2019, he released a new album of Cole Porter compositions rearranged by Connick himself, including “Anything Goes” and “You Do Something To Me.” After selecting the songs, and writing and orchestrating the arrangements, he assembled and conducted the orchestra which features his longtime touring band with additional horns and a full string section. Along with his album, Connick announced his return to Broadway on September 16, 2019, with Harry Connick Jr. — A Celebration of Cole Porter, a multimedia celebration of the Cole Porter songbook. The production was conceived and directed by Connick himself with the addition of theatrical and film elements accompanied by a company of dancers and an onstage orchestra.
= 2020–present: ''Alone With My Faith and'' ''Annie'' =
Harry released his new album Alone With My Faith on March 19, 2021. With the Coronavirus pandemic casting a long shadow in 2020, Connick retreated to his home studio during the lockdown and emerged with an album of new music. He arranged all of the songs, played every instrument, and sang every part. In addition to the familiar, traditional songs, Connick wrote and recorded new tracks that tell the story of his experience coping during lockdown and feeling the full spectrum of emotions that came with it. Both the album cover and the music videos for “Amazing Grace” and “Alone With My Faith” were conceived and directed by Harry's daughter Georgia Connick. Alone With My Faith earned Connick his 16th career GRAMMY nomination for Best Roots Gospel Album as part of the 64th annual GRAMMY awards.
Harry joined the cast of Annie Live! as Sir Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks - opposite Taraji P. Henson's devious Miss Hannigan. The live production aired December 2, 2021, on NBC and also coincided with the release of the Annie Live! Cast Album – the original soundtrack of the NBC television event.
Connick Jr. was a judge in the 2023 revival of Australian Idol and the Australian version of The Piano, released in 2025.{{cite web|first=Pip|last=Christmass|url=https://7news.com.au/entertainment/australian-idol/superstar-judges-for-australian-idol-2023-unveiled-c-8373019.amp|title=Superstar judges for Australian Idol 2023 unveiled|date=28 September 2022|website=7news|access-date=28 September 2022}}{{cite web|last=Knox|first=David|url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2022/09/kyle-harry-meghan-amy-to-judge-australian-idol.html|title=Kyle, Harry, Meghan & Amy to judge Australian Idol.|date=28 September 2022|website=TV Tonight|access-date=28 September 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/about/media-centre/publicity-media-room/the-piano/105115338|title=Celebrate the power of The Piano this May on the ABC|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=April 1, 2025|access-date=May 6, 2025}} He starred as the main character John Allman in the 2024 Netflix film Find Me Falling.{{cite web|last=Grobar|first=Matt|title=Harry Connick Jr., Mira Sorvino & Newcomer Ali Fumiko Whitney Board Rom-Com 'The Islander'|date=April 28, 2022|website=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2022/04/harry-connick-jr-mira-sorvino-to-star-in-rom-com-the-islander-1235012161/|accessdate=May 6, 2025}}
Touring Big Band members
The following musicians have toured as the Harry Connick Jr. Big Band since its inception in 1990:Interview with Roger Ingram 12/2008
- Piano and vocals{{snds}}Harry Connick Jr.
- Drums{{snds}}Shannon Powell, Duffy Jackson, Arthur Latin II (Winard Harper, Jeff "Tain" Watts{{snds}}subs)
- Bass{{snds}}Ben Wolfe, Neal Caine
- Guitar{{snds}}Jonathan Dubose Jr., Evan Vidar (Bryan Sutton{{snds}}subs)
- Piano, Keyboards{{snds}}Harry Connick Jr., Howard Kaplan, Jonathan Batiste
- Lead trumpet{{snds}}Roger Ingram (Dave Stahl, Walter White, Walt Johnson{{snds}}subs)
- 2nd trumpet{{snds}}Dan Miller, Derrick Gardner, Bijon Watson, Sal Cracchiolo (Earl Gardner, Greg Gisbert, Darryl Shaw{{snds}}subs)
- 3rd trumpet{{snds}}Jeremy Davenport, Joe Magnarelli, Mark Braud
- 4th trumpet{{snds}}Leroy Jones, Mark Braud
- Lead alto saxophone{{snds}}Brad Leali, Mike Smith, Jon Gordon, Ned Goold, Geoff Burke
- 2nd alto saxophone{{snds}}Mark Sterbank, Will Campbell, Ned Goold
- 1st tenor saxophone{{snds}}Jerry Weldon (Geoff Burke {{snds}}sub)
- 2nd tenor saxophone{{snds}}Jimmy Greene, Ned Goold
- Baritone saxophone{{snds}}Dave Schumacher (Howard Johnson{{snds}}sub)
- Clarinet{{snds}}Louis Ford
- Lead trombone{{snds}}Mark Mullins, John Allred, Jeff Bush
- 2nd trombone{{snds}}Craig Klein, John Allred
- 3rd trombone{{snds}}Lucien Barbarin, Craig Klein
- Bass trombone{{snds}}Joe Barati
- Vocals{{snds}}Jonathan Dubose Jr., Jonathan Batiste (The Honolulu Heartbreakers – subs)
Connick and New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina
Connick, a New Orleans native, is a founder of the Krewe of Orpheus which is a music-based New Orleans krewe. Its name is derived from Orpheus of classical mythology. The Krewe of Orpheus has parades on St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street in New Orleans on Lundi Gras (Fat Monday){{nsmdns}}, which is the day before Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday).
On September 2, 2005, Connick helped organize and appeared in the NBC-sponsored live telethon concert, A Concert for Hurricane Relief, for relief in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He spent several days touring the city to draw attention to the plight of citizens stranded at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and other places. At the concert he paired with host Matt Lauer and entertainers including Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kanye West, Mike Myers, and John Goodman.
On September 6, 2005, Connick was made the honorary chair of Habitat for Humanity's Operation Home Delivery, a long-term rebuilding plan for families who survived Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast. His actions in New Orleans earned him a Jefferson Award for Public Service.
Connick's album Oh, My NOLA, and Chanson du Vieux Carré were released in 2007; a tour called the My New Orleans Tour followed.
= Musicians' Village =
{{Main|Musicians' Village}}
File:MusiciansVillage20Aug07I.jpg in New Orleans, August 20, 2007]]
Connick and Branford Marsalis devised an initiative to help restore New Orleans' musical heritage. Habitat for Humanity and New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, working with Connick and Marsalis announced on December 6, 2005, plans for a Musicians' Village in New Orleans. The Musicians' Village includes Habitat-constructed homes, with an Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, as the area's centerpiece. The Habitat-built homes provide musicians, and anyone else who qualifies, the opportunity to buy decent, affordable housing.
In 2012, Connick and Marsalis received the S. Roger Horchow Award for Greatest Public Service by a Private Citizen, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards.{{cite web |url=http://www.jeffersonawards.org/pastwinners/national |title=National |publisher=Jefferson Awards |access-date=August 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124043935/http://jeffersonawards.org/pastwinners/national |archive-date=November 24, 2010 |url-status=dead }}
Personal life
Connick married former Victoria's Secret model Jill Goodacre, the daughter of sculptor Glenna Goodacre, at New Orleans' St. Louis Cathedral on April 16, 1994. The song "Jill" from his album Blue Light, Red Light (1991) is about her. They have three daughters named Georgia (born 1996), Sarah (born 1997), and Charlotte (born 2002). The family previously lived in both New Orleans and New Canaan, Connecticut.{{Cite web |date=July 16, 2017 |title=Harry Connick Jr. Lists Connecticut Home for $7.5 Million - WSJ |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/harry-connick-jr-lists-connecticut-home-for-7-5-million-1497968644 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170716025626/https://www.wsj.com/articles/harry-connick-jr-lists-connecticut-home-for-7-5-million-1497968644 |archive-date=July 16, 2017}} Connick briefly relocated his family to Sydney whilst he worked on Australian Idol in 2023, and all three of his daughters opted to remain there instead of returning to the U.S. with their parents when his work finished.[https://www.mamamia.com.au/harry-connick-jr-daughters/ "'So they just pursued it.' Why Harry Connick Jr's three daughters all live in Australia."], Mamamia, December 4, 2023.
In December 1992, Connick was arrested by New York's Port Authority Police and charged with possessing a 9{{nbsp}}mm pistol at JFK International Airport.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/28/nyregion/harry-connick-arrested.html?scp=1&sq=Harry+Connick%2C+Jr.+arrest+gun&st=nyt |work=The New York Times |title=Harry Connick Arrested |date=December 28, 1992}} After spending the day in jail, he agreed to make a public service television commercial warning against carrying a pistol in New York City without a license. The court agreed to drop all charges if he stayed out of trouble for six months.{{cite web |url=http://articles.philly.com/1993-02-03/living/25955797_1_gun-charge-tax-shelters-country-star |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111031111943/http://articles.philly.com/1993-02-03/living/25955797_1_gun-charge-tax-shelters-country-star |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 31, 2011 |title=Plea Bargain For Harry Connick Jr. On Gun Charge – Philly.com |publisher=Articles.philly.com |date=February 3, 1993 |access-date=February 6, 2013}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/28/nyregion/harry-connick-arrested.html |title=Harry Connick Arrested |newspaper=NYTimes.com |date=December 28, 1992 |access-date=August 17, 2015}}
Connick is a practicing Catholic,{{cite web |url=http://www.harryconnickjr.com/news-press/detail.asp?type=news&id=53 |title=Harry Connick Jr. to perform during Papal visit |access-date=August 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091010154540/http://www.harryconnickjr.com/news-press/detail.asp?type=news&id=53 |archive-date=October 10, 2009 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}[https://web.archive.org/web/20060202223546/http://www.geeky.net/images/webbadge.gif Archived copy] at WebCite (January 24, 2006).{{cite web |url=http://new.us.music.yahoo.com/harry-connick-jr/news/harry-connick-on-holiday-tour--12174891 |title=Harry Connick on Holiday Tour |access-date=August 24, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120526222644/http://new.us.music.yahoo.com/harry-connick-jr/news/harry-connick-on-holiday-tour--12174891 |archive-date=May 26, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}{{cite web |url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/interviews/2009/harryconnickjr.html |title=5 Minutes with Harry Connick Jr. |work=Christianity Today |access-date=August 24, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903231735/http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/interviews/2009/harryconnickjr.html|archive-date=September 3, 2009 }} though he also identifies with his Jewish heritage. As a Louisiana native of mixed Irish Catholic and Jewish descent, he has also been described as a Creole. He is a supporter of his hometown NFL team, the New Orleans Saints. He was caught on camera in 2010 at Super Bowl XLIV, which the Saints won, by the television crew of The Ellen DeGeneres Show during the post-game celebrations. DeGeneres' mother Betty was on the sidelines watching the festivities when she spotted Connick in the stands sporting a Drew Brees jersey.{{cite news |title=Drew and Brittany Brees deliver Super Bowl tickets to Ellen DeGeneres' superfan mom |url=http://www.nola.com/tv/index.ssf/2010/01/drew_and_brittany_brees_delive.html |newspaper=The Times-Picayune |date=January 28, 2010}}{{cite AV media | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn9YmXCC6JE | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150601030336/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn9YmXCC6JE| archive-date=2015-06-01 | url-status=dead| title=YouTube: Mama Makes it to the Superbowl | work=youtube.com | access-date=January 28, 2016}}
Connick wrote his daughter Sarah's debut song "A Lot Like Me" in 2011, which she released under the name Kate Connick, using her middle name professionally. The song was released to celebrate the debut of American Girl's newest historical characters Cecile Rey and Marie Grace Gardner.{{Cite web|url=https://www.marsalismusic.com/kate-connick|title=Kate Connick | Marsalis Music|website=Marsalismusic.com}} The proceeds from the song went towards the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music.{{Cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/2011/08/12/harry-connick-jr-american-girl-new-orleans/|title=Harry Connick Jr. talks American Girl|website=Ew.com}}
Discography
{{main|Harry Connick Jr. discography}}
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
- Dixieland Plus (1977)
- Pure Dixieland (1979)
- Harry Connick Jr. (1987)
- 20 (1988)
- When Harry Met Sally (1989) [Soundtrack album]
- We Are in Love (1990)
- Lofty's Roach Souffle (1990)
- Blue Light, Red Light (1991)
- 25 (1992)
- Eleven (1992) [Re-release of Pure Dixieland]
- When My Heart Finds Christmas (1993)
- Forever For Now (1993) [Compilation album released in the UK]
- She (1994)
- Star Turtle (1996)
- To See You (1997)
- Come by Me (1999)
- 30 (2001)
- Songs I Heard (2001)
- Thou Shalt Not (2002) [Cast recording]
- Other Hours: Connick on Piano, Volume 1 (2003)
- Harry for the Holidays (2003)
- Only You (2004)
- Occasion: Connick on Piano, Volume 2 (2005)
- Harry on Broadway, Act I (2006) [Cast recording]
- Oh, My NOLA (2007)
- Chanson du Vieux Carré : Connick on Piano, Volume 3 (2007)
- What a Night! A Christmas Album (2008)
- Your Songs (2009)
- In Concert on Broadway (2011) [Live album]
- Music from The Happy Elf: Connick on Piano, Volume 4 (2011)
- Smokey Mary (2013)
- Every Man Should Know (2013)
- That Would Be Me (2015)
- True Love: A Celebration of Cole Porter (2019)
- Alone With My Faith (2021)
{{div col end}}
Filmography
=Film=
class="wikitable sortable" |
Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
---|
1990
| Sgt. Clay Busby | |
1991
| Eddie | |
1995
| Copycat | Daryll Lee Cullum | |
1996
| Captain Jimmy Wilder | |
1997
| Greg Kistler | |
1998
| Justin Matisse | |
rowspan="2" | 1999
| Dean McCoppin | Voice only |
Wayward Son
| Jesse Banks Rhodes | |
rowspan="2" | 2000
| Narrator | |
The Simian Line
| Rick | |
rowspan="2" | 2001
| Lt. Joseph Cable | |
Life Without Dick
| Daniel Gallagher | |
2003
| Basic | Pete Vilmer | |
2004
| Mickey | Glen Ryan (Tripp Spence) | |
2005
| Lil' Farley (narrator) | |
2006
| Bug | Jerry Goss | |
2007
| Daniel Connelly | |
2008
| Dr. Dennis Slamon | |
2009
| Ted Mitchell | |
2011
| Clay Haskett | |
2013
| Michael Walker | |
2014
| Clay Haskett | |
2021
| John Burroughs | |
2024
| John Allman | |
=Television=
class="wikitable sortable" |
Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
---|
1992
| Cheers | Russell Boyd | Episode: "A Diminished Rebecca with a Suspended Cliff" |
1994
| Himself | Episode: "What's Up with Alex?: Part 1" |
1997
| Big Baby (voice) | Episode: "Rock-A-Big-Baby" |
2002–2006, 2017
| Leo Markus | 25 episodes |
2004
| Himself | Episode: 4080 |
2008
| Himself | Episode: "New Orleans Project: Part 1" |
rowspan="2" | 2009
| Hey Hey It's Saturday: The Reunion | Himself – guest judge | |
Australian Idol
| Himself – guest judge | |
2010
| Himself – guest mentor | |
2012
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Executive A.D.A. David Haden | Episodes: "Official Story", "Father's Shadow", "Hunting Ground", and "Justice Denied" |
2013
| American Idol | Himself – guest mentor | |
2014–2016
| American Idol | Himself – judge | Seasons 13–15 with Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban |
2015
| Himself | 1 episode |
2016–2018
| Harry | Himself | 164 episodes |
2017
| Himself | Episode: "Kenny Can Wait" |
rowspan="2" |2021
|American Idol |Himself - guest performer |Episode: Comeback Show |
Annie Live!
|Television special |
2023
| Australian Idol | Himself - judge | Season 8 with Kyle Sandilands, Meghan Trainor and Amy Shark |
2025
| Piano (Australian version) | Himself - judge | Season 1 with Andrea Lam |
class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Non-fictional appearances |
Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
---|
1990
| Carly in Concert: My Romance | Guest artist | |
1992
| Himself | Performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" |
1993
| The Harry Connick Jr. Christmas Special | Himself | CBS special |
1996
| Road Rules: USA – The Second Adventure | Himself | Cameo appearance |
1998
| Harry Connick Jr.: Romance in Paris | Himself | PBS special |
1999
| The Worlds of Harry Connick Jr. | Himself | |
2001
| Himself | |
2003
| Himself | NBC special |
2004
| Himself | PBS special |
rowspan="2" | 2007
| Host | |
Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037
| Himself | |
2010
| Himself | Performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" |
2013
| Himself | Performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" |
2017
| Himself | Performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" |
2020
| Himself | Performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" |
Broadway
- 1990 An Evening with Harry Connick Jr. and His Orchestra (special, concert)
- 2001 Thou Shalt Not (Broadway Musical){{nsmdns}}composer
- 2006 The Pajama Game (Broadway Musical)
- 2010 Harry Connick Jr.: In Concert on Broadway (special, concert)[http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Tix_On_Sale_Today_For_HARRY_CONNICK_JR_IN_CONCERT_ON_BROADWAY_20100504 Tix On Sale Today For Harry Connick Jr. in Concert on Broadway], broadwayworld.com, May 4, 2010
- 2011 On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (Broadway Musical)
- 2019 Harry Connick, Jr. - A Celebration of Cole Porter (special, concert)
References
{{reflist}}
Further reading
- [http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/478/harry_connick_jr_connick_timing/ Harry Connick Jr. interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' November 2009]
- {{cite news |last=Eggar |first=Robin |title=When Harry met Katrina |work=The Times |date=September 30, 2007 |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article2541258.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616141216/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article2541258.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 16, 2011 |access-date=October 2, 2007 |location=London}}
- "[http://www.abc.net.au/rn/musicshow/stories/2005/1414966.htm Harry Connick Jr. discusses playing, singing and arranging.]" [radio transcript]. 2005. The Music Show. Presented by Andrew Ford.
- [http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6348648.PN.&OS=PN/6348648&RS=PN/6348648/ Article on Connick's United States patent 6,348,648] for a "system and method for coordinating music display among players in an orchestra."
External links
- {{Official website}}
- {{IMDb name|1065}}
- {{tcmdb name|id=37921%7C0|name=Harry Connick, Jr.}}
- {{IBDB name}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-ach}}
{{s-bef|before= Bill Conti
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{{s-ttl|title = Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction | years = 2004
for Only You: In Concert }}
{{s-aft|after = Michael Kosarin
for A Christmas Carol}}
{{s-bef|before= Harry Connick Jr.
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{{s-ttl|title = Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male | years = 1991
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{{s-aft|after = Take 6
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{{s-bef|before= Bobby McFerrin
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{{s-ttl|title = Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male | years = 1990
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{{s-aft|after = Harry Connick Jr.
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{{s-end}}
{{Harry Connick Jr.}}
{{EmmyAward MusicDirection}}
{{American Idol}}
{{Subject bar |portal1=Biography |portal2=Film |portal3=Jazz |portal4=Music|portal27=Theatre|commons=yes |q=yes}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connick, Harry Jr.}}
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