Harry Connick, Jr.

Harry Connick Jr.
Connick in 2014
Background information
Birth name	Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr.
Born	(1967-09-11) September 11, 1967 (age 49) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres	Swing traditional pop big band jazz-funk
Occupation(s)	Singer actor talk show host television music competition judge
Instruments	Vocals piano
Years active	1977–present
Labels	Adco Productions (1977–79) Columbia Records (1979–present) Marsalis Music (2003–present)
Website	Official website

Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr. (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, big band leader, talk show host and actor. He has sold over 28 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 16 million in certified sales. He has had seven top 20 US albums, and ten number-one US jazz albums, earning more number-one albums than any other artist in US jazz chart history.

Connick's best-selling album in the United States is his Christmas album When My Heart Finds Christmas (1993). His highest-charting album is his release Only You (2004), which reached No. 5 in the US and No. 6 in Britain. He has won three Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards. He played Grace's husband, Leo Markus, on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace from 2002 to 2006.

Connick began his acting career as a tail gunner in the World War II film Memphis Belle (1990). He played a serial killer in Copycat (1995), before being cast as a fighter pilot in the blockbuster Independence Day (1996). Connick's first role as a leading man was in Hope Floats (1998) with Sandra Bullock. His first thriller film since Copycat came in the film Basic (2003) with John Travolta. Additionally, he played the violent ex-husband in Bug, before two romantic comedies, P.S. I Love You (2007), and the leading man in New in Town (2009) with Renée Zellweger. In 2011, he appeared in the family film Dolphin Tale as Dr. Clay Haskett and in the sequel Dolphin Tale 2 (2014).