Harry Connick Jr. was set up for a career in music thanks to his environment alone: The New Orleans born singer, songwriter, musician, actor and television host is a man of many talents, but his musical prowess reigns supreme.

Born to a judge and a district attorney, his parents also owned a record store, contributing to his early introduction to music. Growing up in a city full of music and merriment, it's no surprise the artist would start performing at as young as 5.

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" I’d be completely different if I hadn’t grown up in New Orleans – there was music everywhere," he told The Guardian in 2021. "So much of it was live. You could walk down a street at any time of the day or night and there would be people making music: a tuba player, horn players, bass drum players."

He continued, "And there would be brass bands and people dancing. All this was normal to me, and it wasn’t until I left that I realized how fortunate I’d been to be surrounded by this incredible diversity of live music. You feel its energy in the air."

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His musical big break and the career that followed

Harry Connick Jr. released his debut album in 1987 and not very long after, he had the opportunity of a lifetime when he was asked to produce the soundtrack for the famed 1989 rom-com, When Harry Met Sally , which he also performed on.

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Not only did he produce it, but the young musician would go on to win a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance. " When Harry Met Sally was an amazing time in my life," he told The Guardian .

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After his work on the film, Harry Connick Jr. made his way out of the studio and in front of the camera, his debut role being in 1990's Memphis Belle .

Throughout the 90s, he found continued success as both a musician and an actor. He could be seen in films such as Independence Day (1996), where his character met a tragic alien-induced fate, as well as Hope Floats (1998), where he starred alongside Sandra Bullock.

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Harry's personal life

Harry Connick Jr. has been married to his wife, model Jill Goodacre , since 1994, and the couple share three beautiful daughters together.

"I married my best friend . The seriousness of our commitment is paramount to us," he shared with Good Housekeeping in 2013. As for fatherhood, he told O, The Oprah Magazine in 2011 that his best thrill was his daughters being born.

" That was profound ," he said. "To this day, I look at them and think, 'God, who are these people? I can't believe we made them.'"

What's new with Harry Connick Jr.?

Connick Jr.'s most recent album was released in 2021, titled Alone With My Faith . As for his time on the screen, the actor will star in Netflix's Find Me Falling , out July 19. The film tells the story of a rockstar who seeks solace in a place far from the limelight — but his quiet retreat isn't as quiet as he'd hoped.