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Hurricane Katrina

Katrina didn't bypass celebrities

With New Orleans being the home to jazz and fine food, many well-known people found themselves in the storm's path.

By SHARON FINK
Published September 2, 2005

	MORE COVERAGE: MULTIMEDIA Multimedia: Continuing fallout Latest Times photos Storm Watch blog

New Orleans is home, by birth and adoption, to scores of celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and food. Some maintain homes there; others' ties to the area are mainly friends, families and memories. Here's a status roundup of celebrities with New Orleans ties as of Thursday:

Harry Connick Jr., a native whose father, Harry Sr., was city district attorney for 29 years, said in a posting on his Web site, www.harryconnickjr.com that his immediate family was safe but he hadn't heard from other family and friends. He toured parts of the city Thursday and was scheduled to perform during the hurricane relief concert tonight on NBC, MSNBC and CNBC.

"One thing about New Orleans, these people are freakishly strong and passionate about this city," he said in an interview with the Today show.

The Marsalis Family: Jazz trumpeter Wynton was scheduled to perform at tonight's benefit concert. Drummer Jason was in Japan recording with Marcus Roberts. There was no immediate word on other members of the country's most famous jazz-playing family: patriarch Ellis and sons Branford and Delfayeo. Saxophonist Branford was still scheduled to play Saturday at the Sausalito (Calif.) Art Festival.

The Neville Brothers: Aaron and many family members were safe in a Memphis hotel. But most of their homes in New Orleans were leveled, Arthel Neville, daughter of brother Art and a celebrity TV correspondent, told Foxnews.com. She traveled to New Orleans on Wednesday. "Everything is destroyed. I am just so lucky to have been born here and to have had the experience of New Orleans."

Ellen DeGeneres: The 47-year-old comedian and talk show host was born in New Orleans. Her family was safe, but their homes were not, she told the New York Daily News. DeGeneres said she'd been glued to CNN and grieving for her vibrant hometown. She's talking with her production company about a benefit.

Dick and Ella Brennan: In the 1970s, the siblings and kin took over the landmark Commander's Palace restaurant in the Garden District and spiced it up with a new generation of culinary talent including Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse.

Ella Brennan initially fled Hurricane Katrina by evacuating to Shreveport, La., and she ended up with other family members in Houston on Tuesday, the Houston Chronicle reported. As of Wednesday, she had not heard from her brother and wasn't sure of his whereabouts. Emeril Lagasse: Lagasse, 45, first cooked in a Portuguese bakery in his native Fall River, Mass., but he's now as indigenous to the Crescent City as an oyster po' boy. The Food Network reported that he was safe after the storm and "the majority of his staff have been accounted for."

At last count Lagasse had taped more than 1,500 shows for the Food Network and started nine restaurants, three of them in his adopted, forlorn hometown.

Terence Blanchard. The trumpeter-composer-bandleader and native of New Orleans was safe in Los Angeles after evacuating via Atlanta, his wife and manager, Robin Burgess, said in an e-mail to friends. "Terence arrived in New Orleans from L.A. on Sunday morning at 4 a.m. We left the airport, boarded up my office and our home, and proceeded to evacuate to Atlanta at 8 a.m. When we left New Orleans, we had no idea that it could possibly be forever." Blanchard was scheduled to play Saturday at the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Festival in Colorado.

Dr. John: With his hometown getting storm-rocked, the legendary musician, 64 , was playing boogie-woogie Monday in Minneapolis, the first of a three-night gig. His opening song was an aggressive version of the 1945 instrumental Honeydripper, reported the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "That was the hurricane eye's version," Dr. John said afterward. "Hurricane has infested my brain. So excuse me if my brain stays in hurricane mode. I'll try not to oversell it." Dr. John moved to New York City years ago.

Allen Toussaint: The 67-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame producer and writer, whose credits include writing LaBelle's hit Lady Marmalade and Dr. John's Right Place, Wrong Time, was one of the thousands holed up at the Superdome hoping to get on a bus for Houston.

Juvenile: The rapper's home in his native city was "completely gone," he said in a statement. "It is difficult to describe the feeling of losing friends, not being able to reach others and having all of your personal items destroyed, but I am still one of the fortunate ones to have my music industry family supporting me. ... Please keep our city, its people and our families in your prayers, and please donate to the Red Cross."

Master P and son Romeo: Rapper-producer Master P, another native, said that his uncle, father-in-law and sister-in-law were unaccounted for and he had helicopters searching for them. His father had been missing until recently. The family "lost all of their homes," his spokeswoman, Donna Torrence, said. Master P and his rapping son said they were forming a charity called Team Rescue and planned a "Save Our Hood" concert and album. "We are contributing our own money toward items such as food, clothes and shoes, and we are also reaching out to corporations for donations," Master P said.

Patricia Clarkson: The 2004 Academy Award nominee (best supporting actress for Pieces of April) is a native, and her mother is New Orleans Council member Jackie Clarkson. She was in Venice, Italy, promoting her new movie, George Clooney's Good Night and Good Luck, and said at a news conference that her mother was all right after spending the hurricane at the side of Mayor Ray Nagin.

Richard Simmons: The exercise guru was raised in the French Quarter and has family and friends there. He knew only that his brother and sister-in-law, who fled New Orleans for Tennessee, were safe.

Times staff writers Janet K. Keeler and Chris Sherman, Times correspondent Philip Booth, the Associated Press, USA Today, Foxnews.com and E! Online contributed to this report.

[Last modified September 2, 2005, 02:15:35]