Harry Connick, Jr.

Harry Connick Jr. (born September 11, 1967) is a singer, pianist, actor, and humanitarian. His music encompasses jazz, some of it very much in the style of the crooners of the 1940s and early '50s, funk and blues. His father, Harry Connick, Sr., was district attorney of New Orleans for 27 years. He married model Jill Goodacre in 1994.

Back to basics: return to jazz, 1999—current

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 St. Valentine's Day special on PBS in 1998. He also starred in Excess Baggage opposite Alicia Silverstone and Benicio del Toro in 1997.

Related Topics:
1997 - Nobel Peace Prize Concert - Oslo - Norway - Paris - St. Valentine's Day - 1998 - Alicia Silverstone - Benicio del Toro

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In May 1998, he had his first leading role in a movie in Hope Floats, with Sandra Bullock as his female lead. He released Come By Me, his first album of big band music in eight years in 1999, 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 in that year.

Related Topics:
Sandra Bullock - Big band - 1999 - The Iron Giant

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Connick was involved in writing the soundtrack for Susan Stroman's Broadway musical Thou Shalt Not, based on Émile Zola's novel Thérèse Raquin, in 2000; it premiered in 2001. It was nominated for a Tony Award. He was also the narrator of the film My Dog Skip, released in that year.

Related Topics:
Susan Stroman - Broadway - Musical - Thou Shalt Not - Émile Zola - Thérèse Raquin - 2000 - 2001 - Tony Award - My Dog Skip

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In March 2001, Connick starred in a television production of South Pacific with Glenn Close, televised on the ABC network. He also starred in his twelfth movie, Mickey, featuring a screenplay by John Grisham that same year. In October 2001, he again released two albums: Songs I Heard, featuring big band reworkings of children's show themes, and 30, featuring Connick on piano with guest appearances by several other musical artists. Songs I Heard won Connick another Grammy for best traditional pop album and he toured performing songs from the album, holding matinees at which each parent had to be accompanied by a child.

Related Topics:
South Pacific - Glenn Close - ABC - Mickey - John Grisham

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Connick appeared as Grace Adler's boyfriend (and later husband) Leo Markus on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace from 2002 to 2004. 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's new label Marsalis Music and led to a short tour of nightclubs and small theaters.

Related Topics:
Leo Markus - NBC - Sitcom - Will & Grace - 2002 - 2004 - Branford Marsalis - Marsalis Music

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Connick appeared in the film Basic with John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson. In October 2003, he released his second Christmas album, Harry for the Holidays, which went gold and reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200 album 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, went Top Ten on both sides of the Atlantic and was certified gold in the United States in March 2004. Harry for the Holidays was certified platinum in November 2004.

Related Topics:
John Travolta - Samuel L. Jackson - Billboard 200 - NBC - Whoopi Goldberg - Nathan Lane - Marc Anthony - Kim Burrell - 2004 - 1950s - 1960s

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