Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty; Monica Schipper/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
Harry Connick Jr. recalled how the late Rob Reiner gave him his big break composing music for When Harry Met Sally
Connick Jr. said the director was "rarest of rare" and that he was "kind, patient, and clear" with his vision for the songs
He shared the piece of advice Reiner gave him, which was: "If you ever want to do anything in this business, do it yourself"
Harry Connick Jr.sang "It Had to Be You" inWhenHarry Met Sally— but he says none of it would be possible withoutRob Reiner, who gave him his big break.
The musician and actor, 58, recalled getting the chance to work with the late director, 78, in a tribute piece published inRolling Stoneon Dec. 18.
Rob and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found deadin their Brentwood, Calif., home on Dec. 14. Their sonNick Reinerhas since beencharged with first-degree murderin connection with their deaths.
Connick Jr. recalled that he had been just 21-years-old when Rob called him and invited him to Los Angeles to "play some solo piano underscoring" for the 1989 film starringBilly CrystalandMeg Ryan— which the musician noted he had "no idea what that meant" at the time.
Hulton Archive/Getty
He said that when he got there, theSleepless in Seattleactor directed him on how to underscore the scenes with Crystal and Ryan, using a green strip and red strip queue, and encouraged him to "play anything you want."
"I played improvised pieces for scene after scene. Mr. Reiner guided me through each one, pushing and pulling me to connect with what was unfolding on the screen," he shared. "I was scared of him — he was so precise with his vision — but he was also kind, patient, and clear."
TheHope Floatsstar said he also played "Winter Wonderland" by Ray Charles for the soundtrack album, and was instructed once again by Rob to play it however he wanted. So he opted to play a unique, "New Orleans piano-style version," and noted that Rob told him, "Great. Let's move on."
"'Who was this man? He was letting me sing and play anything I wanted. Was every film like this? Did every director work this way?' " the musician remembered thinking of Rob. "Turns out, no. He was the rarest of rare."
During the recording ofWhen Harry Met Sally's main anthem, "It Had to Be You" he recalled the director asking him to end the song with a high note — which he said he managed to accomplish despite it being "really high for me" — and seeing Rob smile at him through the control room and tell him, "That's it! That's the one!"
He said that he called his father from his room at the Sunset Marquis and held a walkman up to the phone as he played him the music, which he "loved." When his father asked him about what theStand by Medirector thought of it, Connick Jr. recalled feeling "giddy" as he told him, "I think he liked it."
"Rob Reiner was a gentleman — a brilliant, generous gentleman. I'll always remember him in the studio that day — loud and strong, precise and deliberate," he shared, adding that the Hollywood director also offered some advice: "If you ever want to do anything in this business, do it yourself. Don't expect anyone to do anything for you."
Castle Rock/Nelson/Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
"True, unless it involved Rob Reiner. He did something for me — he changed my life — and I'll be forever grateful," theIndependence Dayactor said. "Thank you, Mr. Reiner. You'll always be in my heart."
The tribute piece comes days after he shared anInstagram videocommemorating Rob and Michele after their deaths on Dec. 14. He captioned the clip, "my heart is broken. i love you, rob and michelle. sending all of my love to your family and friends."
"I have no words to describe how sad I am," he said in the video. "My heart is breaking for their friends and family. Rob Reiner has been in my life a long time. He was the one who gave me my big break when I was a kid … and his kindness and words of wisdom have stayed with me to this day."
Read the original article onPeople
