Harry Connick Jr.
American singer and actor with record jazz chart success.
Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr., born on September 11, 1967, is an American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and former TV host. By 2019, his worldwide album sales had surpassed 30 million. The Recording Industry Association of America ranks him among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the U.S., with 16 million certified sales. He has placed seven albums in the U.S. top 20 and achieved ten number-one jazz albums—more than any other artist in U.S. jazz chart history as of 2009. His best-selling U.S. album is the 1993 Christmas release *When My Heart Finds Christmas*, while his highest-charting album, *Only You* (2004), peaked at No. 5 in the U.S. and No. 6 in Britain. Connick has won three Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards. On the NBC sitcom *Will & Grace*, he portrayed Leo Markus, the husband of Debra Messing’s character Grace Adler, from 2002 to 2006.
His acting career began with a role as a tail gunner in the World War II film *Memphis Belle* (1990). He played a serial killer in *Copycat* (1995) before appearing as a fighter pilot in the blockbuster *Independence Day* (1996). His first leading-man role came opposite Sandra Bullock in *Hope Floats* (1998). He voiced a character in the animated cult classic *The Iron Giant* (1999). His first thriller since *Copycat* was *Basic* (2003) with John Travolta. He played a violent ex-husband in *Bug* (2006) and starred in two romantic comedies: *P.S. I Love You* (2007) with Hilary Swank and *New in Town* (2009) with Renée Zellweger. In 2011, he appeared in the family film *Dolphin Tale* as Dr. Clay Haskett, reprising the role in its 2014 sequel.
Connick was born and raised in New Orleans. His mother, Anita Frances Livingston (née Levy; 1926–1981), was a lawyer and judge; his father, Harry Connick Sr. (1926–2024), served as Orleans Parish district attorney from 1973 to 2003. He has an older sister, Suzanna. His father was a Roman Catholic of Northern Irish descent; his mother, who died of ovarian cancer when Connick was 13, was Jewish and from New York. This part-Jewish heritage later inspired him to play Jewish doctor Leo on *Will & Grace*. In addition to his legal career, Connick Sr. performed weekly gigs at French Quarter clubs. Connick and his sister were raised in New Orleans’ Lakeview neighborhood.
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr.
- Birth Date
- 11 September 1967
- Birth Place
- New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
- Occupation
- Singer / composer / actor / television host
- Years Active
- 1977present
- Spouse
- Jill Goodacre · 1994
- Children
- 3
- Father
- Harry Connick Sr.
- Relatives
- Patrick Connick (cousin)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Harry Connick Jr. was born and raised in New Orleans. His mother, Anita Frances Livingston, was a lawyer and judge; his father, Harry Connick Sr., was the district attorney of Orleans Parish from 1973 to 2003. Connick began learning keyboards at age three, performed publicly at five, and made his first known recording at age 11 or 12. At nine, he performed Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra. He studied at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts under Ellis Marsalis Jr. and James Booker, and later at Hunter College and the Manhattan School of Music. He signed with Columbia Records after meeting executive George Butler.
Connick's breakthrough came when director Rob Reiner asked him to provide the soundtrack for *When Harry Met Sally...*, which earned him his first Grammy Award for Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance for the song 'It Had to Be You'.
Reader's Guide
Harry Connick Jr. is significant as a versatile entertainer who achieved both commercial success and critical recognition in jazz, pop, and film. His ten number-one U.S. jazz albums, as of 2009, set a record for any artist in that chart's history. His soundtrack for When Harry Met Sally... helped revive interest in classic standards and earned him a Grammy. Connick's acting range—from a tail gunner in Memphis Belle to a serial killer in Copycat and a romantic lead in Hope Floats—demonstrated his adaptability. His role on Will & Grace brought him into mainstream television. Despite a mid-1990s foray into funk that divided fans, he returned to jazz and big band music, winning a Grammy for Songs I Heard. His legacy includes bridging traditional jazz with popular audiences and maintaining a multi-decade career across music, film, and television.
Did You Know?
- He won his first Grammy for Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance for the When Harry Met Sally... soundtrack.
- His father, Harry Connick Sr., served as district attorney of Orleans Parish from 1973 to 2003.
- Connick received a U.S. patent in 2002.
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