Making the Most of “THIS DAY” with Actress/Singer Connie Jackson
Connie Jackson is a singer and actress who was born and raised on Chicago’s South Side and now calls Los Angeles home.The youngest of four children, Connie knew from an early age that she wanted to be a performer. In 1986, she packed her car and drove across the country to pursue that dream. Although acting has always been her primary focus, singing gave her first major break. Within months of arriving in Los Angeles, legendary choreographer Michael Peters hired her for the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Michael Bennett’s Dreamgirls, which opened at the Ambassador Theatre in 1987.
Among Connie’s career highlights are touring and recording with pop icon Phil Collins as a vocalist on both the Finally... The First Farewell Tour and Going Back tours. She also toured briefly with rock legend Joe Walsh. Connie has provided backing vocals at numerous special events for artists including Lenny Kravitz, Patti Austin, Faith Hill, Michael McDonald, k.d. lang, Timothy B. Schmit, Shelea, Seal, and many others. One of her bucket-list moments was singing with Barbra Streisand at the Grammy Awards and the MusiCares Person of the Year gala.
As an actress, Connie has appeared for more than nine seasons on NCIS as Elaine, Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ favorite waitress. She also appears as Gloria on the Fox series Pivoting, available on Hulu. Her other television credits include How to Get Away with Murder, 9-1-1, and Killing It, along with numerous television commercials. She also voiced Grandma Lucy in the animated film Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You.
Outside of entertainment, Connie is a passionate animal advocate. In her spare time, she photographs shelter animals to help them find rescue placements and loving homes. She encourages everyone to adopt, not shop.
Original Recording Date: April 6, 2021
Remastered: 2026
