A Son’s Loving Tribute

Harry Connick Jr. explores his mother’s life and the music he composed in her honor in a book presentation at Miami Book Fair. The singer, pianist and composer appears Saturday, November 21 at Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus’s Chapman Conference Center in downtown Miami.

In Babe: Elaboratio: A Tribute to My Mother, Connick revisits the life of Anita-Francis Livingston Connick, known as Babe, who died when he was 13. Her story moves from childhood in New York through meeting her future husband in Morocco to becoming one of New Orleans’ first female judges. Personal photographs and excerpts from the musical score connect those memories with Connick’s orchestral tribute, which he premiered during his Carnegie Hall debut in May 2026, marking the centenary of her birth. The book examines how family history takes shape through musical choices and orchestration.

A Grammy- and Emmy-winning performer, Connick’s career spans jazz recordings, film, television and Broadway. His recordings include the soundtrack to When Harry Met Sally, while his theater work has earned Tony nominations for acting in The Pajama Game and composing Thou Shalt Not.

The session runs from 6:45–7:45 p.m. in Building 3, second floor, Room 3210. Admission is free with a paid Saturday Street Fair ticket, but a separate event ticket is required. A copy of the book is not included.