Biography
Sam Harris has built a multifaceted career spanning Broadway, film, television, writing, singing, songwriting, directing, producing, and authorship.
Dubbed "the original American Idol," Sam captivated over 25 million viewers weekly during the inaugural season of "Star Search," where he earned the Grand Champion title and won America's admiration. Jimmy Fallon hailed his rendition of "Over the Rainbow" as "One of the greatest performances ever on television. Ever!"
His first two albums, "Sam Harris" and "Sam-I-Am," both achieved platinum status. The albums "Standard Time" and "Different Stages," produced and conducted by the legendary Peter Matz, have been featured on numerous "Top 100 Records of All Time" lists. Other recordings include "The Best of the Motown Sessions," "Revival," "On This Night," "Always," and "Sam Harris Live! - The Best of Christmas." His album "Free" includes "Change is on the Way," composed for and used by Barack Obama's campaign. He co-wrote the anthem "My Reclamation," created in response to Proposition 8 advocating for equal LGBTQ marriage rights, as well as the anti-bullying song "Don't Yuk My Yum." Additionally, he appears on many guest artist and cast recordings. Rolling Stone Magazine honored him as one of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time."
Sam has toured widely, performing to sold-out crowds at prestigious venues such as New York's Carnegie Hall, Los Angeles' Universal Amphitheatre, London's West End, with the Boston Pops, and numerous philharmonics nationwide.
On Broadway, Sam earned a Drama Desk nomination for his role in Tommy Tune's "Grease," along with a Drama League Award and Tony, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama Desk nominations for his work in Cy Coleman's "The Life." He also appeared in Mel Brooks' "The Producers" and toured nationally with the Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."
His stage credits include starring roles in musicals like "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Cabaret," "Hair," "Pippin," "The First Wives Club," "The Jazz Singer," and his own shows "Hard Copy," "Different Hats," and "Revival." His one-man show "Sam" was the most critically acclaimed production of the Los Angeles season. In New York, he and longtime friend Liza Minnelli co-created "Schmoolie & Minnooli," a duet concert celebrating their friendship and shared love of music.
Sam has performed at The White House, appeared in numerous television specials and live events, and guest-starred on nearly every talk show. One memorable moment was his powerful performance of "You'll Never Walk Alone" on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" shortly after September 11th; Oprah remarked, "Sam could make Jesus walk through the door!"
Transitioning to comedy, Sam portrayed the hilarious Perry Pearl on the CBS sitcom "The Class," earning a People's Choice Award and being dubbed "the comedy breakout character of the television season" by columnist Liz Smith. He has guest-starred on various TV series and films and hosted his own segment on the show EXTRA titled "Six Degrees of Sam."
Behind the scenes, Sam co-wrote the sitcom "Down to Earth," which aired for four years on TNT, and the Los Angeles stage musical "Hurry! Hurry! Hollywood!" both in collaboration with Bruce H. Newberg. He co-produced the television special "Love Letter to New York," directed segments of Michael Jackson's 30th Anniversary at Madison Square Garden, composed music for the award-winning film "Little Man," and co-wrote "Liza's at the Palace," which won the 2009 Tony Award. He created and directed the concert event "New York's Finest - Broadway's Leading Men," receiving critical acclaim, and co-created and produced the television series "The Stay Proud Project."
His memoir "Ham: Slices of a Life" (Simon & Schuster) garnered widespread praise and was adapted into the one-man musical "Ham: A Musical Memoir," which enjoyed successful runs in New York and Los Angeles, winning three Ovation Awards for Best Musical, Best Actor, and Best Musical Direction (awarded to longtime collaborator Todd Schroeder). The show was filmed at the Pasadena Playhouse, released in Laemmle Theatres, and is now widely available on streaming platforms.
His forthcoming literary fiction novel, "The Substance of All Things," has received acclaim from prominent reviewers and is currently being developed into a limited television series.
Sam is married to successful businessman Danny Jacobsen, and together they are proud parents of Cooper Harris-Jacobsen.
