"All These People" is the first single from Harry Connick, Jr.

Harry Connick, Jr.

Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...

's 2007 album Oh my NOLA, and the single was released on iTunes

ITunes

iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....

 on August 29, 2006. Music and lyrics by Harry Connick, Jr.

The lyrics were inspired by the suffering Connick witnessed when he visited New Orleans

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

 in the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...

. The song is all about the people who were left stranded at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The lower end of building one is located upriver from Canal Street on the banks of the Mississippi River. It is named after former Mayor of New Orleans Ernest N. Morial...

. Each verse of the song is describing what he saw as he was led by a man he had met on the street earlier that day, named Darryl.

There were two dead bodies Connick saw when he first arrived at the convention center. Featured singer Kim Burrell

Kim Burrell

Kimberly Burrell is an American gospel singer from Houston, Texas. She calls her musical style jazz gospel. Though she is comparatively new to the gospel music industry, having only performed since 1989, she has quickly become one of the most influential voices in the genre, often named as "this...

 asked that her voice specifically represent them. Burrell also asked that a final verse be added for her to sing, which Connick wrote in the studio.

Harry Connick, Jr.'s favorite part of the performance is when Kim Burrell improvises the
line 'come see about me,' which, he says "was all those folks wanted that day, someone to come and see about them."

All proceeds from sale of the song will benefit New Orleans Habitat Musicians' Village

Musicians' Village

Musicians' Village is a new neighborhood built around a music center where musicians can teach and perform. Musicians Harry Connick, Jr...

.

External links

• Music video "All These People" at CBSNews.com
• Photo: "Singer Harry Connick Jr. prays over two dead bodies outside the New Orleans Convention Center", Sept. 1, 2005 at gallery.phillyburbs.com
• "Connick devastated by conditions in hometown", Sept. 2, 2005 videoclips at msnbc.com