Harry Connick Jr., Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey, Sandra Bullock and Drew Brees will headline an all-star lineup of celebrities and musicians taking part in a June 21 CBS special celebrating essential workers across America.
The two-hour special, “United We Sing: A Grammy Salute to the Unsung Heroes,” will air Sunday, June 21 at 7 p.m. on WWL-TV Channel 4.
The show, which was announced Thursday by CBS and the Recording Academy, will feature Connick, a New Orleans native, traveling the country with his daughter, Georgia, who is a filmmaker. They took a road trip in an RV earlier this month to film the special and thank and celebrate essential workers across the country.
“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,” said CBS in a press release. “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.”
CBS said the special will feature Connick highlighting “the contributions of these everyday heroes” with the help of his celebrity friends, including many with New Orleans ties: Bullock, Brees and Pitt, as well as Winfrey, Queen Latifah and Renée Zellweger, who deliver surprise messages to America’s unsung heroes.
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 also feature fellow New Orleanians Jon Batiste, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis and Rockin’ Dopsie Jr., as well as Louisiana native Tim McGraw.
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.
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