Look To The Stars News: Harry Connick Jr.

Harry Connick Jr To Hold Charity Event For MusiCares

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Harry Connick Jr. and Clive Davis will share an evening with GRAMMY Museum Executive Director Robert Santelli for charity on November 11, 2009.

The trio will be discussing Davis and Connick’s collaboration on Your Songs, Connick’s latest album. Members of the 200 member audience will be able to participate in a question and answer session, and will also be treated to a live performance of some of Connick’s music.

Tickets are $75 dollars and are available at the GRAMMY Museum box office or by calling 213.765.6803. The night promises to be a rewarding evening for music by talented musicians. All proceeds from the event will benefit MusiCares, the GRAMMY Museum, and Musicians’ Village.

Paul Newman Honored At Star-Studded Charity Event

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A group of entertainment’s finest turned out to a special evening to raise funds for Paul Newman’s Hole In The Wall Camps in New York on Monday, June 8.

Hosted by Robert Redford and Julia Roberts, the event featured performances from Jerry Seinfeld, James Taylor, Harry Connick Jr., Yo Yo Ma, Art Garfunkel and Joshua Bell. Attendees also included Bill Clinton and Kristin Chenoweth.

“We’ve done a lot of these galas,” said Julia Roberts. "And I’ve never stood up without my buddy Paul Newman. It seems so much easier to sing and dance and make a fool of yourself when he’s right next to you. He encourages fun, more than any person I’ve ever met. "

Many of the stars present at the event talked about their memories of Newman, who passed away on September 26, 2008, from complications resulting from lung cancer. Clinton remembered meeting Newman when he was still a law student, and then visiting the first Hole in the Wall Camp in Connecticut when he became Govenor of Arkansas: “I have watched [the camps] expand to Florida, Ireland – which really touched my heart – France, and soon the Middle East.”

Newman’s Hole in the Wall Camps are the world’s largest family of camps for children with serious illnesses and life threatening conditions. More than 100,000 seriously ill children from 34 states and 31 countries have attended the Camps free of charge.

Paul Newman Honored With Nature Preserve

Mon, 11 May 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The town of Westport, Connecticut, is to honor the late Paul Newman by creating a 37-acre nature reserve adjacent to his former home.

The new Newman/Poses Preserve will include walking paths, benches, and a ban on development and building. The idea came from Newman’s widow, Joanne Woodward, who wrote to the local council in January.

“The Poses land is a truly beautiful piece of land that Paul, our children, and I have had the privilege of enjoying for many, many years,” she said. “Preserving the Poses property in its natural state is something I very much believe Paul would have loved to see happen. Paul always expressed regret that he was not able to accomplish this himself, so I think if there were to be anything at all done by the town to honor Paul’s memory this would be a very generous and appropriate tribute to him. He would, I believe, be particularly pleased that such a gesture would benefit all of Westport’s residents.”

Westport is not the only group of people honoring the late actor. Julia Roberts and Robert Redford will host a special evening to raise funds for Newman’s Hole In The Wall Camps in New York on June 8.

Entertainment will be provided by Jerry Seinfeld, James Taylor, Harry Connick Jr., Yo Yo Ma, Art Garfunkel and Joshua Bell, and the event will feature a cocktail reception and after party.

Tickets range from $50 to $5,000. The event will take place at the Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center. More information can be found here.

Brad Pitt Gets Political For New Orleans

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Actor Brad Pitt met with the US Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and House Majority Whip, James Clyburn, last week in Washington to discuss the rebuilding of New Orleans’ hurricane-ravaged Lower 9th Ward.

According to reports, Pitt may also have met with Barack Obama to discuss the continuing efforts of his Make It Right foundation, which is building low cost, highly efficient housing for those left homeless since the 2005 disaster.

“I just want to say thank you to the Speaker for opening up the doors for us to come in and discuss the current rebuilding effort going on in New Orleans,” said Pitt at a press briefing, “and how we can expand this idea of affordability and sustainability because we think we have a model that works.”

Pelosi was clearly impressed with Pitt’s efforts: “[Pitt] is a real hero for the people of New Orleans, a real model for the country,” she said. “Not only are these homes wonderful homes for these families, not only are they built to a green standard, but they have a utility bill of under ten dollars a month.”

Clyburn, who chairs the Katrina-Rita Task Force, is also appreciative of Pitt’s foundation: “We’re all neighbors in this great country of ours, and I thank [Brad] so much for his help.”

It isn’t only politicians praising Pitt’s work. Singer and actor Harry Connick Jr., in a recent interview with OK! magazine, thinks Make It Right is invaluable. “I actually wrote [Brad] a letter to thank him for what he’s doing,” said Connick. “I don’t know if he even got it. But if I ever see him again, I’ll thank him again, because the benefit to the city is unimaginable.”

Bid 2 Beat AIDS Auction Jam-Packed With Stars

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

December 1st marked World AIDS Day. It was also the first day of BID 2 BEAT AIDS’s 4th annual charity auction.

Fans of celebrities in film, music, television, sports and Broadway have 10 days to bid on eBay for autographed items, VIP seats, original art, costumes and props, memorabilia, exclusive events and meet-and-greets from a legion of stars.

Autographs range from CDs by stars like Bon Jovi and Amy Winehouse, books signed by Madonna and Kevin Bacon, posters signed by Jake Gyllenhaal, Owen Wilson, and Matthew McConaughey, DVDs signed by Will Ferrell and Steven Spielberg, and toys, clothes, instruments and other memorabilia.

For those who crave concerts, VIP seats and backstage meet-and-greets with stars such as the Jonas Brothers, Tony Bennett, Jewel, Bernadette Peters, Harry Connick Jr. and Joan Rivers are up for auction. Olympic champion Michael Phelps and skateboarder Tony Hawk are also available for meet-and-greets, as is Paul Shaffer at The Late Show with David Letterman.

Previous Bid 2 Beat AIDS auctions have raised nearly $250,000, and this year’s proceeds are hoped to reach at least that. The proceeds will benefit LIFEbeat, dedicated to AIDs prevention, awareness and support.

Regina King Makes It Real For Breast Cancer

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

TV viewers may have caught Regina King in a new TV movie this month, but most people are unaware of her inspiration: the actress signed up to appear in the film to pay tribute to the five women in her life who have won and lost breast cancer battles.

Living Proof – which went to air on Lifetime on Saturday, October 18 – told the true story of doctor Dennis Slamon, who developed ground-breaking breast cancer drug Herperin. Also appearing were Harry Connick Jr. and Trudie Styler.

“I knew pretty much about breast cancer and the statistics,” King told BlackVoices.com. “I have five women that have been in my life that have been affected by breast cancer, so I would say that it’s close to home. Three of them are survivors and two of them weren’t. I would say that it’s close to home for everyone, unfortunately… The reality and the seriousness of that didn’t make it hard for my heart to think of the women I know who battled with the disease and the children who were left behind by those women who died. All of that was right in my heart. It’s just really tapping into that.”

Jazz Stars Help Out In New Orleans

Sat, 26 May 2007 13:32:26 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Last month’s Jazz Festival in New Orleans saw artists such as Harry Connick Jr. and Joss Stone taking time out to participate in community projects reviving the city after the damage it sustained in the 2005 Katrina hurricane.

R&B star John Legend washed clothes as part of a free mobile laundry service for families still living in trailers.

Singer Connick Jr and his daughters helped clean and paint a new house in the “Musicians’ Village”, a new development he conceived with saxophonist Branford Marsalis.

Joss Stone gave her time to promote volunteer work after her performance on the festival’s final day.

Further performers helped fundraising efforts to buy musical instruments for local schools, in part by recording a Fats Domino tribute. Domino himself recorded an album to raise funds for a Katrina relief charity.

Actor Danny Glover and politician John Edwards were also in the city on the same weekend helping with rebuilding work.

Look To The Stars News: Harry Connick Jr.

Harry Connick Jr To Hold Charity Event For MusiCares

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