Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. (born September 11, 1967) is an American … Read Full Bio ↴Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and humanitarian. Connick’s music encompasses jazz, some of it very much in the style of the crooners of the 1940s and early 1950s, funk and blues.

Harry Connick, Jr. was born in New Orleans to Anita and Harry Connick, Sr. His mother was Jewish and his father was Irish Catholic. Connick's musical talent was evident from a young age and he studied at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts under Ellis Marsalis and James Booker. He went on to attend Hunter College and the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, where he was signed by Columbia Records.

In 1989, Connick provided the soundtrack for the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally..., winning his first Grammy for Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance. He also made his screen debut in Memphis Belle and released two albums: Lofty's Roach Souffle and We Are in Love, which earned him his second consecutive Grammy. In 1991, he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his contribution to the Godfather III soundtrack and released his third consecutive multi-platinum album, Blue Light, Red Light.

In 1992, Connick was arrested for having a gun at JFK International Airport but avoided charges by making a public-service television commercial. He continued to release successful albums, including 25 and When My Heart Finds Christmas, which was the best-selling Christmas album of 1993.

Harry Connick Jr. started his career as a jazz pianist and singer. In 1994, he released an album of New Orleans funk called She and took it on a tour of the United Kingdom and People's Republic of China. In 1996, he appeared in the successful movie Independence Day. By 1997, he returned to jazz music with his album To See You and played at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo. He continued his film career, starred in Hope Floats and released his album Come By Me in 1999. Connick wrote the score for the Broadway musical Thou Shalt Not, in 2000, and starred in South Pacific and his twelfth movie Mickey. He won a Grammy Award for his album Songs I Heard, released two albums in 2001, and appeared on NBC sitcom Will & Grace from 2002 to 2006. He continued releasing albums, appeared in films such as Basic, and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction for Harry Connick Jr. — "Only You" in Concert. In 2005, he composed and produced The Happy Elf, an animated holiday special.

[edit] Personal life
On April 16, 1994, Connick, Jr. married model Jill Goodacre, originally from Texas, at the St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans, Louisiana. They have three daughters: Georgia Tatom (born April 17, 1996), Sarah Kate (September 12, 1997), and Charlotte (born June 26, 2002). The family currently resides in Connecticut.

He is a founder of the Krewe of Orpheus, a music-based New Orleans krewe, taking its name from Orpheus of classical mythology. The Krewe of Orpheus parades on St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street in New Orleans on Lundi Gras (Fat Monday) — the day before Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday).

Hear Me In The Harmony
Harry Connick Jr. Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The city don't even matter
I could be anywhere
I don't care
There's a whole lotta hard workin' people

That could take my place
And it's easy to leave
When nobody knows your face

Just close your eyes

You can hear me in the harmony
I came up in New Orleans
Fixin' what I could find
To peace my mind

I gave what I had to the winners
Just to get along
But it's really hard to sing
When nobody hears your song

Just close your eyes
You can hear me in the harmony
I thought I learned from getting burned
I bought a suit of armor and a silver cane

I found a little man who'd be proud of me
But he had to get up early
And I had to get back to my pain
I guess I'll keep on livin'

One day they'll ask for me
I'll be free
And if there's a heaven
I'll be ready for my life to begin

But I wonder if I call
If they're gonna let me in

Open your eyes
You can hear me in the harmony

Overall Meaning

In the song 'Hear Me In The Harmony,' Harry Connick Jr. explores the idea of feeling invisible in a city, as he could be anywhere and it wouldn't matter. He sings about the hardworking people who could easily fill his place and how leaving when nobody knows his face makes it easy. However, he finds solace in the fact that his music can be heard in the harmony of the world, even if he feels like he's not being heard by anyone. Connick Jr. also reflects on his journey as an artist in New Orleans, how he tried to fit in and gave what he had to the winners just to get along. However, the feeling of not having his voice heard makes it hard to sing his song. He ends with a hopeful but doubtful contemplation of his legacy, wondering if he'll be remembered and accepted in heaven.

Line by Line Meaning

The city don't even matter
It doesn't matter where I am.

I could be anywhere
I don't have a permanent home.

I don't care
I don't care about the location.

There's a whole lotta hard workin' people
There are many people who work hard.

That could take my place
There are others who could replace me.

And it's easy to leave
It's easy to move on.

When nobody knows your face
It's easier to leave when you are not well-known.

Just close your eyes
Focus on the music.

You can hear me in the harmony
My presence is within the melody.

I came up in New Orleans
I grew up in New Orleans.

Fixin' what I could find
I improved what I could.