Arabic version: هاري كونيك جونيور يكرّم والدته في كتاب جديد

According to ABC News, Harry Connick Jr has written Babe: Elaboratio A Tribute to My Mother, a personal tribute to his mother, Anita-Francis Livingston Connick, who died when he was 13. The book accompanies performances at Carnegie Hall and an album bearing the same title, now available on streaming services, CD and vinyl.

Connick Jr said his mother, affectionately known as Babe, had long wanted him to perform at Carnegie Hall. When she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the young piano prodigy called the venue in an attempt to arrange a performance while she could still attend. He reached the box office, however, and was unable to make it happen.

Nearly 50 years later, Connick Jr made his Carnegie Hall debut on May 22 and 23, 2026. The first date would have been his mother’s 100th birthday. He said he rehearsed off site so that walking onto the stage for the concerts would be his first time performing there. He described the experience as magical and said it fulfilled a vision his mother had held since he was a child.

The musician said the book is not a biography but an account built solely from his own memories. Anita-Francis Livingston Connick was one of the first female judges in New Orleans. Connick Jr recalls in the book that when he packed to run away as a boy, his mother packed a suitcase too and said, “let’s go.” He said the moment helped him realise that he did not truly want to leave home, reflecting her belief that children could learn through experience. Babe: Elaboratio is out now.