Maps of Music

When My Heart Finds Christmas (1993)

Where the lyrics of When My Heart Finds Christmas take you, and where it was really made.

Harry Connick Jr.'s first Christmas album was the best-selling holiday album in the U.S. in its release year and has since sold 3.15 million copies.

Key places

Recording site Capitol Studios — The album's recording work is credited to Capitol Studios in Hollywood, California. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

American artist Harry Connick Jr.'s first Christmas album
Released in 1993; among the most popular holiday collections of the past three decades in the United States
Four songs written by Connick Jr: the title track, "(It Must've Been Ol') Santa Claus", "The Blessed Dawn Of Christmas Day", "I Pray On Christmas"
The other songs are traditional Christmas songs and carols
14 tracks, including "Sleigh Ride", "O Holy Night" and "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"

Connick Jr's hour-long CBS-TV Christmas special, recorded live at the Pantages Theatre
The special featured Carol Burnett and Aaron Neville
Special released on home video in time for Christmas 1994 (Sony VHS)
Its set list is similar to the album's track list

1	Sleigh Ride	3:44
2	When My Heart Finds Christmas	4:32
3	(It Must’ve Been Ol’) Santa Claus	4:39
4	The Blessed Dawn of Christmas Day	4:40
5	Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!	2:34
6	The Little Drummer Boy	3:42
7	Ave Maria	4:35
8	Parade of the Wooden Soldiers	3:27
9	What Child Is This?	3:12
10	Christmas Dreaming	2:40
11	I Pray on Christmas	3:49
12	Rudolph the Red‐Nosed Reindeer	2:32
13	O Holy Night	6:45
14	What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?	4:49

Born September 11, 1967 in New Orleans; raised in the Lakeview neighborhood.
Began learning keyboards at age three, performed publicly at five, and recorded with a local jazz band at ten.
At nine performed Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra.
Developed his talent at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts under Ellis Marsalis Jr. and James Booker.
Moved to New York, studied at Hunter College and the Manhattan School of Music, and signed with Columbia Records.

Score for When Harry Met Sally... (1989) brought his first Grammy for Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance; a second followed for We Are in Love (1990).
Acted in Memphis Belle (1990), Copycat (1995), Independence Day (1996), Hope Floats (1998), and The Iron Giant (1999, voice).
Starred as Leo Markus on NBC's Will & Grace from 2002 to 2006.
Only You (2004) reached No. 5 in the U.S. and No. 6 in Britain.
Hosted the daytime talk show Harry from 2016 to 2018.
Recorded Cole Porter reinterpretations in 2019 and Alone with My Faith in 2021, earning his 16th Grammy nomination.
Sold over 30 million albums worldwide as of 2019; won three Grammys and two Emmys.

Among the most popular holiday collections of the past three decades in the United States
Harry Connick Jr.'s first Christmas album, released in 1993

Certified Triple Platinum by the RIAA in December 2005, for shipment of three million copies in the U.S.
As of November 2014, twelfth best-selling holiday album in the U.S. since May 1991
3.15 million sold as of November 2014
May 1991 marks the start of the SoundScan era of music sales tracking
Four of the 14 tracks written by Connick Jr; the others are traditional Christmas songs and carols

Connick Jr's hour-long CBS-TV Christmas special was recorded live at the Pantages Theatre.
The special's set list included "The Christmas Song", sung with Aaron Neville, which does not appear on the album's track list.
Ben Wolfe played bass and Russell Malone played guitar on the album.
The special's set list and the album's track list share many songs, such as "Sleigh Ride" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer".