Harry Connick Jr. sets his hosting talents towards daytime
Harry Connick Jr. is joining the FOX 11 lineup with a new daytime variety show next month.
'Harry' will reflect the fun hosting and entertainment skills of Harry Connick, Jr. as well as his broad career in music, film, television, and Broadway.
'Harry' brings the energy and buzz of late-night TV to his daytime show, entertaining viewers with a live band and delivering laughter through a variety of comedic segments, hilarious man-on-the-street interviews, live musical performances, parodies, audience participation and plenty more surprises.
"I'm a lucky guy. I get to be a husband to a wonderful wife, a father to three incredible daughters, and an entertainer to the most amazing fans. And now, I'm honored to be able to put smiles on people's faces on a daily basis," said Harry Connick, Jr. "
'Harry' will be an hour filled with fun, music and laughter. Fasten your seat belts - it's gonna be one heck of a good time!"
About Harry Connick, Jr.:
Harry Connick, Jr. has exemplified excellence in every aspect of the entertainment world. He has received recognition with multiple Grammy and Emmy Awards as well as Tony Nominations for his live and recorded musical performances, his achievements on screens large and small, and his appearances on Broadway as both an actor and a composer.
Harry began performing the music of his native New Orleans as a pianist and vocalist at the age of five. He moved to New York at age 18, signed with Columbia Records and three years later achieved multi-platinum success with his contributions to the "When Harry Met Sally…" movie soundtrack. Over the past three decades, he has established himself as a musician, singer and composer par excellence, a legendary live performer and one of the best-selling artists garnering sales of over 28 million records. His newest CD featuring all new songs, "That Would Be Me" will be released on October 23rd.
In the 1990s, while building on his meteoric rise in the music world, he became an on-screen presence with roles in films such as "Little Man Tate," "Copycat," and "Independence Day" and as a romantic lead opposite Sandra Bullock in "Hope Floats." His voice-over talents were featured in "The Iron Giant" and "My Dog Skip" and he continues to appear in films, most recently in "Dolphin Tale" and its sequel.
Harry began making his mark in the world of television at the turn of the new millennium. He was a lead actor in ABC's "South Pacific" and then scored a recurring role in the groundbreaking sitcom "Will & Grace." Harry also brought his music to the small screen with his "Harry for the Holidays" Christmas special on NBC and his Emmy-winning, PBS specials "Only You in Concert" and "Live in Concert on Broadway." In addition, "The Happy Elf," based on a Harry original Christmas song was animated for an NBC Television Special. In 2013, he joined the judging panel of "American Idol" alongside Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban.
The Connick realm also expanded to include Broadway. He received Tony nominations both for his debut work on Broadway as composer and lyricist for the musical "Thou Shalt Not" and for his debut as the lead actor in the Tony-winning revival of "The Pajama Game." He has also adapted "The Happy Elf" for children's theater.
In addition, Harry is a go-to artist for important events. He was honored to perform at the recent papal mass of Pope Francis at Madison Square Gardens as well as at Pope Benedict XVI's Yankee Stadium mass in 2008. He has also performed at major sporting events such as the 2008 NBA All-Star Game and sang the National Anthem at Super Bowl XXVI.
Despite his busy career, Harry has always found the time to be charitable and has done some of his most important work in his efforts to help New Orleans rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. He, along with friend Branford Marsalis, conceived of "Musicians' Village," a community in the Upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Musicians' Village provides homes for Katrina-displaced musicians and its focal point, the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, is a teaching facility for children, a performance hall and recording studio for musicians and a gathering place for the community. Harry's contributions to the post-Katrina effort have been acknowledged with a Redbook Strength and Spirit Award, an honorary degree from Tulane University, a 2010 National Building Museum honor and the 2012 Jefferson Award for Public Service.
But a career filled with honors and accolades has not led Harry Connick, Jr. to slow his creative pace; instead it inspires him to find different avenues of expression as he embarks on his new venture as host and executive producer of his own nationally syndicated entertainment show, "Harry."
(Source: PMK-BNC / Kristen Foster )
'Harry' premieres September 12th at 4:00p.m. - right here on FOX 11!
Follow Harry Connick Jr. on Twitter: @HarryConnickJR
'Like' Harry Connick Jr. on Facebook.
Copyright 2016 FOX 11 Los Angeles : Download our mobile app for breaking news alerts or to watch FOX 11 News | Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube . Be a citizen journalist for FOX 11 and get paid - download the Fresco News App today.