Harry Connick Jr. - Biography
By J Poet
Harry Connick Jr. is what they used to call an all round entertainer; a singer, piano player, composer, actor, activist and regular guy. He’s musically omnivorous playing jazz, pop, funk, blues, and anything else that strikes his fancy. He’s earned multi-platinum and gold albums, Grammys, and an Emmy as well as nominations for Tonys, Golden Globes and Oscars.
Harry Connick, Jr. was born in New Orleans in 1967, the son of Harry Connick, Sr., who became the district attorney of New Orleans in 1977-2003, and Anita Connick, a judge, lawyer, and former Louisiana Supreme Court justice. His parents owned a record store and he immersed himself in music, starting piano lessons at three. He cut an album with a jazz band when he was 11, and it was released by Columbia years later after he became famous. He studied piano at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts with Ellis Marsalis and James Booker often came by the Connick home to offer lessons. Connick moved to New York in 1985 to attend the Manhattan School of Music, but soon dropped out to play clubs and look for a major label deal. Columbia records took notice and he cut the Harry Connick, Jr. (1987 Columbia) an album of piano jazz and 20 (1988 Columbia) a collection of pop standards with vocals that slowly built and went platinum.
Connick became an overnight superstar in 1989 when Rob Reiner asked him put together soundtrack songs for When Harry Met Sally. His warm vocals and jazzy arrangements of tunes like “Let's Call the Whole Thing Off” won a Grammy for Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance. The album went double platinum. The next year he made his screen debut in the WWII flick Memphis Belle and released two albums, Lofty’s Roach Soufflé (1990 Columbia), with his jazz trio and We Are in Love (1990 Columbia) an album of tunes composed in the manner of 40s pop standards. We Are in Love was a double platinum effort and won a Best Male Jazz Vocal Grammy. The next year, “Promise Me You'll Remember”, a song he wrote for the Godfather III soundtrack, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. His 1991 PBS special, Swingin’ Out Live, was nominated for a Best Performance in a Variety Special Emmy. Later that year Blue Light, Red Light (1991 Columbia), another collection of original tunes, went double platinum and he starred in Jodie Foster’s Little Man Tate, as the mentor of a child prodigy. Connick toured heavily and his next two albums 25 (1992 Columbia) and When My Heart Finds Christmas (1993 Columbia) also went platinum.
She (1994 Columbia) was an excursion into N’awlins funk, and went platinum continuing Connick’s winning streak. “(I Could Only) Whisper Your Name” from the Jim Carrey film The Mask, became Connick’s first hit single. With a big New Orleans band he toured England and China and came back to play against type in Copycat with Sigourney Weaver where he took the role of a serial killer. Star Turtle (1995 Columbia), another album of original tunes went gold and he made a brief appearance in Independence Day in 1996. To See You (1994 Columbia) jazzy album of Connick’s love songs went gold, and he supported the disc with a tour featuring full symphony orchestras capped by a headlining stint at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway.
Connick starred in Forest Whitaker’s Hope Floats, released Come By Me (1999 Columbia) a big band album of standards and originals that earned another gold album. He took the band on an extensive world tour of Europe, Japan and Australia. Connick spent most of 2000 writing music for Susan Stroman’s musical Thou Shalt Not, based on Zola’s Thérèse Raquin. The production folded after a brief run. In 2001 the ever-prolific pianist released two more albums jazzy albums, 30 (2001 Columbia) a collection of standards and Songs I Heard (2001 Columbia) featuring Connick arrangements of his favorite movie tunes. Songs I Heard won a Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Grammy. In 2002 he landed a recurring role as Leo Markus, the doctor boyfriend of Grace Adler (Debra Messing) on NBC’s hit comedy Will and Grace.
Connick signed with Branford Marsalis’s Marsalis Music, distributed by Rounder, and made Other Hours: Connick on Piano, Vol. 1 (2003 Marsalis) with his jazz trio. Another Christmas album, Harry for the Holidays (2003 Columbia) brought home another platinum album. He kicked off 2004 with the gold Only You (Columbia) and a big band tour of the states. His second PBS special, Only You in Concert, won him an Emmy for Outstanding Music Direction. The Only You in Concert DVD (2004 Sony) was certified platinum in 2005.
He narrated, produced and composed the music for the NBC animated feature The Happy Elf in 2005 and made another jazz album for Marsalis Music Occasion: Connick on Piano, Vol. 2 (2005 Marsalis). That same year Connick organized and appeared in the NBC benefit A Concert for Hurricane Relief and joined Habitat for Humanity’s Operation Home Delivery, a program that will help rebuild homes for families in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast.
Connick made his Broadway debut in a revival of The Pajama Game. Harry on Broadway, Act 1 (2006 Columbia) includes he original (revival) cast recording of The Pajama game and his rendition of the score for Thou Shalt Not. Chanson du Vieux Carre (2007 Marsalis) an album of New Orleans tunes given rollicking big band treatments and Oh, My Nola (2007 Columbia), a tribute to the resiliency of his hometown in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina both dropped in 2007. In 2008 he released a Christmas album What A Night! A Christmas Album, followed by Your Songs (2009), In Concert On Broadway (2011), and Smokey Mary- to be released sometime in 2013.