In the realm of entertainment, Harry Connick Jr. is a man of many talents. He’s “exemplified excellence in every aspect of the entertainment world,” his bio of many accolades reads:
“He has received recognition with multiple Grammy and Emmy awards as well as Tony nominations for his live and recorded musical performances, his achievements on screens large and small, and his appearances on broadway as both an actor and a composer.”
But one project that has always been on Connick Jr.’s mind is creating a gospel album. With a reduced work schedule due to COVID, he decide to make use of the extra time. He spent the better part of last year working on his new album, which is set to release on March 19th.
The album, entitled Alone With My Faith, is dear to the singer’s heart, since he wrote the songs, played every instrument, and sang every part.
Connick Jr. claims his one-man-band production is not quite the gospel album he had originally planned on making.
“I wouldn’t call this the gospel album I had thought about making only because it’s not a collection of spirituals that everyone knows,” he explained in a CBN interview. “It’s got some original songs and quite honestly, some of the songs deal with struggling with faith as much as having faith so when I was home, I found myself counting on my faith or questioning my faith.”
“So I said, ‘I’m gonna write about it,’ the artist continued. “And so the album that I thought was going to be a *Gospel* album 5-10 years down the road turned out to be this album now because it was really helping me get through this time.”
The meaningful collection of songs is as much about faith as it is doubt, and wrestling with God—something that many Christians have battled in their spiritual journeys.
Connick Jr. shared that his daughter, Georgia, had a hand in creating his album cover, and she also directed his rendition of “Amazing Grace.”
“She is an amazing photographer and film director,” the proud father boasted. “It came time to shoot the album cover and I said, ‘Georgia, I’d love for you to do it.’ She took an amazing picture, then it came time to do the video and I said, ‘Do you feel like working with me on this?’ And she said ‘I’d love to.’ She found the location and mapped out her artist vision and I thought it was terrific. She’s just a super talent and I couldn’t be more proud.”
Connick Jr. wanted his album to be an anthem of solidarity and hope for the millions of people struggling during this unprecedented pandemic.
“This is a situation that we’re in literally right now where it’s a shared experience of loss, confusion, and hope,” he said. “I don’t know you, but I know that you’re feeling what I’m feeling because we’re all wondering when this is going to end. I needed it for myself to sort of sing the songs that help me to articulate my feelings.”
The artist intended to integrate the secular and the sacred with this musical collection. He wanted Alone With My Faith to be a mix of familiar songs as well as those that may be “unexpected.”
“I’m a Christian and I’m proud of my faith, but I also realize this is a big world and there’s a lot of people in it,” he shared. “I love and respect them so much and I wanted to include them in this process too.”
A few of the songs he sang from a Christian point-of-view include “How Great Thou Art,” “Old Rugged Cross,” and “Because He Lives”…”But but there are other songs that I wrote that are about faith and every level of faith,” Connick Jr. explained.
“Whether you’re feeling doubtful about it or you’re super powerfully strong about it – this is shared experience so these songs were written for what we’re all going through together.”
This article originally appeared here.
