It Had to be You

I'll never forget going to the movies with my Mom quite a few years ago to see the classic flick, "When Harry Met Sally." As I watched the movie, I fell in love with the voice crooning the soundtrack in the background - Harry Connick, Jr. At that point, my admiration of this musician that reincarnated the Sinatra sound began. It has continued through the years, even as I saw this Bayou-born phenomenon last year in concert. Even after all those years, he has stayed true to his original sound.

I chalked up my love for him because he sang songs from an era when my parents fell in love. He was a marvelous vocalist and songwriter who could write words to melt your heart. And, he's still faithfully married to his wife, unlike many famous folks who hit the spotlight. But, since the tragedy in the Gulf Coast, I've found even more reasons to love him.

Being a New Orleans native, as many of his band members also, he jumped in right away to come to the aide of the survivors. He put on his waders and treaded water across the streets of his hometown. He headed up a benefit concert aired on NBC and their affiliated networks in less than a week from the devastation. And, he's recently been named the chairman for the Habitat for Humanity project in the Gulf Coast region.

On a recent NBC news show, I witnessed him walking (and boating) the streets of New Orleans and literally carrying an elderly man to safety. He and his team also came across a woman trying to get to the Superdome with her children, unaware it had already been evacuated. He loaded her up in his vehicle and took her to the NBC compound. He said, "I know I should be writing songs about this, but right now, all I can think about is helping these people."

Unless one of my faithful blogger readers can denounce this statement, what appeals to me most is that not once on any of the coverage, have I heard him place blame on local, state, or federal government officials. He merely is trying to get the job done. Beaucoup d'amour, sweet Harry.