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).
You Didn't Know Me When
Harry Connick Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And before you hear them from someone else
To clear up misconceptions
I'd rather tell you myself
There was a time
I rode a roller coaster
From Coney Island to Key West
So the other ten could rest
It may be hard to believe
Hard to comprehend
But baby, you didn't know me when
I played third chair trombone
In an out-of-work polka band
We looked for gigs on ships
In countries that had no land
It may be hard to believe
We hit the top ten
But baby, you didn't know me when
If you want a resume I'll put it in writing
It's only good for a day and the contents are frightening
I gave long-winded speeches
I was a head-of-state
I wrote an endless novel
Called See Jane Love And Hate
It may be hard to believe
I'm reticent
But baby, you didn't know me when
In Harry Connick Jr.'s song You Didn't Know Me When, the singer is revealing various aspects of their past to their current romantic partner. The singer mentions that there are a few things that they haven't told their partner yet, and they want to clear up any misunderstandings before their partner hears about it from someone else. The first thing the singer reveals is that in their past, they rode a roller coaster from Coney Island to Key West, while holding on with just one finger. This is a metaphor for the risks and challenges that the singer has taken in their life. It may have been hard for their partner to believe, but the singer assures them that they didn't know the singer when they were taking these risks.
The singer then goes on to reveal that they played third chair trombone in an out-of-work polka band, and they used to look for gigs on ships in countries that had no land. The singer states that it may be hard for their partner to believe, but their band actually hit the top ten at some point. This reveals a different side of the singer's personality- their love for music and their willingness to take whatever opportunities came their way. The singer then goes on to reveal that they gave long-winded speeches, were a head-of-state, and wrote a novel called See Jane Love And Hate. This may seem unbelievable to their partner because the singer is now reticent and reluctant to share these parts of their past. Overall, the song is about revealing the different facets of oneself, and allowing oneself to be vulnerable with their partner.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a few things I haven't told you
There are some things about my past that I haven't shared with you yet
And before you hear them from someone else
I want to tell you myself before you hear about it from someone else
To clear up misconceptions
I want to make sure there are no misunderstandings about my past
I'd rather tell you myself
I'd rather be the one to share my story with you
There was a time
In the past, before you knew me
I rode a roller coaster
I had some wild experiences
From Coney Island to Key West
All over the place
I held on with one finger
I barely held on
So the other ten could rest
I was tired and needed a break
It may be hard to believe
I know it might be difficult to imagine
Hard to comprehend
Or difficult to understand
But baby, you didn't know me when
But that was before you knew me
I played third chair trombone
I played in a not-very-important role
In an out-of-work polka band
In a band that didn't have many gigs
We looked for gigs on ships
We tried to find work wherever we could
In countries that had no land
Even in some unusual places
It may be hard to believe
This might be surprising to you
We hit the top ten
But we did have some success
But baby, you didn't know me when
But that was before you knew me
If you want a resume I'll put it in writing
If you want a full list of my experiences, I can write them down
It's only good for a day and the contents are frightening
But it won't be relevant tomorrow, and some of it might be scary
I gave long-winded speeches
I spoke for a long time
I was a head-of-state
I had an important political role
I wrote an endless novel
I wrote a very long book
Called See Jane Love And Hate
With a dramatic title
It may be hard to believe
I know this sounds far-fetched
I'm reticent
But despite all that, I'm still a little shy
But baby, you didn't know me when
But you didn't know me back then
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HARRY CONNICK JR, RAMSEY MCLEAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lucalascola
We played this at my grandfather's funeral. He was my hero. This song just sends me wonderful memories of him.
@NeoSoul.
I remember tripping out over the creative musical riffs in this song back in the day ! Peace and light to all you jazzers out there! 🙌🙏
@sjgreene785
He is one of a kind!
Loving it today..it is cold & rainy and sunshine when you sing. Thank you!
One day I will dance with my love to all !💃❤💃❤
@harryconnickjr254
t is my uttermost pleasure seeing your amazing and pleasant comment on my music channel. 😍This really brought great joy to my heart, remain blessed. I know you will be shock Seeing my mail, that to show you how grateful I am😍❤
@biancamoya-winegar8601
I miss him!! I used to play this and dance around cleaning the house...I can't believe that was 20 years ago!!
@harryconnickjr254
Yes it was such a great memory, I hope all is well with you?
@shannonthomas8629
Harry is still around creating all sorts of awesome music. Huge fan for over 30 years. Endless, amazing talent.
@LadyAnna.888
I adore Harry Connick,his music is great! I have lots of it to listen to! This one is among my favourites!
@harryconnickjr254
t is my uttermost pleasure seeing your amazing and pleasant comment on my music channel. 😍This really brought great joy to my heart, remain blessed. I know you will be shock Seeing my mail, that to show you how grateful I am😍❤
@Auggeeee93535
If i could sing Like anybody in the world I'd love to sing like Harry !! I Love this guy!!