
Harry Connick, Jr. (R) and Georgia Connick (L) filming "UNITED WE SING" on location for CBS
Courtesy Photo: CBS
"United We Sing: A GRAMMY Salute To The Unsung Heroes" Special To Air June 21 On CBS: Hosted By Harry Connick, Jr. And Featuring Dave Matthews, Tim McGraw, Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Queen Latifah And More
Next month, the Recording Academy and CBS are celebrating the essential workers across America with the "United We Sing: A GRAMMY Salute To The Unsung Heroes" special, a brand-new two-hour event hosted by GRAMMY- and Emmy Award-winning singer and actor Harry Connick, Jr. Airing Sunday, June 21, from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS, the star-studded show features Harry Connick, Jr. and his filmmaker daughter, Georgia Connick, as they take a road trip across the nation in an RV to thank and celebrate essential workers who risk their own lives on a daily basis to keep the country safe.
Connick highlights the contributions of these everyday heroes with the help of his celebrity friends, including Sandra Bullock, Drew Brees, Queen Latifah, Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey and Renée Zellweger, who will deliver surprise messages to America's unsung heroes. The special will also feature performances by GRAMMY winners Harry Connick, Jr., John Fogerty, Jamie Foxx, Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Little Big Town, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Dave Matthews, Tim McGraw and Irma Thomas as well as GRAMMY nominees Jon Batiste, Andra Day, Rockin Dopsie and Trombone Shorty.
The Connicks' journey begins at their home in Connecticut, and after stopping in various cities along the way, they reach their final destination of New Orleans, La. At each stop, the father-daughter duo listens to the stories of essential workers in healthcare, food preparation, sanitation, law enforcement, trucking and more to honor their dedication and public service during this unique moment in history.
The show culminates in Connick's hometown of New Orleans, with moving musical performances by Connick, Trombone Shorty and Irma Thomas at iconic locations throughout the city.
The special will invite donors to contribute to charities that support underserved children, such as No Kid Hungry and the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in New Orleans, as well as to the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, a charitable organization of the Recording Academy.
"United We Sing: A GRAMMY Salute To The Unsung Heroes" was filmed with a minimal crew practicing social distancing and with extensive safety precautions in place.
Harry Connick, Jr.'s career has exemplified excellence across multiple platforms in the entertainment world. He has received GRAMMY and Emmy Awards, as well as Tony nominations for his live and recorded musical performances, his achievements in film and television and his appearances on Broadway as both an actor and a composer. Over the past three decades, Connick has established himself as a musician, singer and composer, a legendary live performer and a best-selling artist with millions of recordings sold around the world. The foundation of Connick's art is the music of his native New Orleans, where he began performing as a pianist and vocalist at the age of 5. Connick has appeared in 19 feature films with actors such as Sandra Bullock, Hilary Swank, Renée Zellweger, Sigourney Weaver and Morgan Freeman. On television, he appeared on "Will & Grace," "South Pacific" and "American Idol." In 2016, he launched "Harry," a national daytime television show, which earned 11 Daytime Emmy nominations, including nominations for best host, and a Critics' Choice nomination for Best Talk Show. On Broadway, Connick received Tony nominations as both a lead actor in "The Pajama Game" and as a composer/lyricist for "Thou Shalt Not." In December 2019, he performed on Broadway in a show he wrote and directed, "Harry Connick, Jr.- A Celebration of Cole Porter."