During my recent post on ‘Puttin’ On The Ritz’ I used a clip of Hugh Laurie playing the piano in the role of Bertie Wooster. This reminded me that he has developed a following as a musician in recent years and perhaps it was time to feature hi on this blog. So let’s begin again with dear old Bertie.
Laurie first gained recognition for his work as one half of the comedy double act Fry and Laurie with his friend and comedy partner Stephen Fry, whom he met through their mutual friend Emma Thompson while attending Cambridge University, where Laurie was president of Footlights. The two men acted together in a number of projects during the 1980s and 1990s, including the sketch comedy series A Bit of Fry & Laurie and Jeeves and Wooster. Laurie’s other roles during this time include the period comedy series Blackadder. He went on to portray the title character on the medical drama series House (2004–2012), for which he received two Golden Globes and nominations for numerous other awards.
Laurie took piano lessons from the age of six. He sings and plays the piano, guitar, drums, harmonica, and saxophone. He has displayed his musical talents throughout his acting career, and when he hosted Saturday Night Live in October 2006. He is a vocalist and keyboard player for the Los Angeles charity rock group Band From TV. Additionally, following Meat Loaf’s appearance in the House, Laurie played piano as a special guest on the song “If I Can’t Have You” from Meat Loaf’s 2010 album Hang Cool Teddy Bear.
On 26 July 2010, it was announced that Laurie would be releasing a blues album after signing a contract with Warner Bros. The album, called Let Them Talk, was released in France and Germany in April 2011. The album features collaborations from well-known artists such as Tom Jones, Irma Thomas and Dr. John. In May 2011, Laurie and a jazz quintet closed the 2011 Cheltenham Jazz Festival to great acclaim.
He followed that up as the subject of an episode of the series Perspectives, explaining his love for the music of New Orleans and playing music, from his album Let Them Talk, at studios and live venues in the city itself. He was the subject of PBS Great Performances Let them Talk, also about New Orleans jazz, first broadcast in September 2011. His second album, Didn’t It Rain, was released in the UK in May 2013. In the same year he played at the Queen Mary together with his band. This concert was filmed and later released as Live on the Queen Mary on DVD and Blu-ray.
