Grammy Award-winner Harry Connick, Jr. will host a two-hour United We Sing: A Grammy Salute to the Unsung Heroes special set to air on Sunday, June 21, 2020 at 8pm ET/PT. The Recording Academy and CBS announced details of the special honoring America’s essential workers and filmed utilizing a minimal crew all practicing social distancing and taking other safety precautions.
The music-driven special will feature performances by Jon Batiste, Andra Day, John Fogerty, Jamie Foxx, Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, and Little Big Town. Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Dave Matthews, Tim McGraw, Rockin Dopsie, Irma Thomas, and Trombone Shorty will also perform during the special.
Actors Sandra Bullock, Queen Latifah, Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey, and Renée Zellweger, as well as NFL QB Drew Brees, will help honor those who put their lives on the line during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Leon Knoles directed and Connick, Jr. and Ken Ehrlich executive produced. Renato Basile and Ann Marie Wilkins served as producers.
United We Sing: A Grammy Salute to the Unsung Heroes Details, Courtesy of CBS:
The show features Grammy and Emmy Award-winning singer and actor Harry Connick, Jr. and his filmmaker daughter, Georgia Connick, as they take a road trip in an RV to thank and celebrate essential workers who risk their own lives on a daily basis to keep us 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 deliver surprise messages to America’s unsung heroes.
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 two-hour special event 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.
