Sam Harris On This Night CD

Sam’s current role on the new CBS comedy, The Class, is the most recent incarnation of a career than has spanned more than two decades in the public eye and run the gamut from singer / songwriter to stage / film / television actor to writer / producer / director. Born in Oklahoma, Sam performed in his first play when he was five and was known to jump on any makeshift stage, be it a wooden crate or a dining room table, and belt out a tune. He left home at the age of 15 to pursue his career, learning the ropes through regional and repertory theatre. He finished high school through correspondence courses and then attended UCLA in Los Angeles, where he co-wrote (with Bruce H. Newberg) and starred in Hurry! Hurry! Hollywood!, the first original musical in which the theatre and music departments collaborated. He also received the Frank Sinatra Pop Singing Award where the legendary Chairman of the Board said to an enthusiastic audience, "This kid's got `it'! Sam, don't get any better till I get out of the business." It was the validation he needed to leave school for the real world.For the next two years, Sam played "every dump and dive in LA," for a measly $25 a set. From these shows emerged his first solo stint, Out of Control, which opened with Sam singing "God Bless the Child" in a straight jacket. The show garnered a kind of cult following that Los Angeles Magazine called "Harrisites," and caught the attention of talent scouts from an upcoming new television talent show. In an oversized tailcoat and Converse sneakers, Sam became a household name on Star Search in its premiere season. 25 million viewers tuned in week after week to follow him as he created his own pop, gospel and theatre brand of emotionally charged performances, finally winning the grand prize and the hearts of America. His phenomenal "overnight" rise catapulted him into recording industry, where he sold over a million copies of both Sam Harris and Sam-I-Am, which he also produced. Concert tours, including a legendary performance at Carnegie Hall, replaced his Mac-n-Cheese days and the little white kid with the soulful voice was suddenly in every magazine and on every talk show. Worldwide, he headlined at the San Remo Festival, the Montreaux Festival, and played London to standing ovations. Simultaneously, he created and wrote the TBS sitcom, Down to Earth with college cohort Bruce H. Newberg, which ran for 4 years. At the request of Elizabeth Taylor, Sam became one of the first celebrities to lead the fight against AIDS. It would mark the beginning of his work as an activists for human rights, for which he has performed in countless benefits. (Sam has personally collected funds in every major theatre in the country for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. He has also worked to raise funds and awareness for a number of children’s health organizations and he continues to fight for equal rights and campaign for fair-minded politicians daily.)After touring in concert for several years, Sam began itching for the theatre again, and he starred in productions of Cabaret, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and the self-penned shows Different Hats and, most notably, Hard Copy, in which he portrayed six different characters frequenting an all night news stand. The show was a huge success, garnering myriad awards, and Sam's writing and acting skills were now coming to the fore front. He continued to record, this time reflecting his love of classics and Broadway songs on the critically acclaimed cds, Standard Time and Different Stages, both produced, arranged and conducted by the legendary Peter Matz. This cd was recorded the old fashioned way - live with the orchestra - and the result was two records which have appeared on numerous "best of" lists and have become classics of the genre. Broadway called and Sam moved to New York, where he received a Drama Desk nomination for his role in Tommy Tune's Grease. Immediately following, he toured for 15 months in th