Hugh Laurie is nothing if not multitalented. Known for his acting work on the shows Blackadder, Jeeves and Wooster, and House, Hugh Laurie is also a skilled writer, director, comedian, and musician. Laurie began studying piano at the age of six and later took up a range of instruments, including guitar, piano, drums, saxophone, and harmonica. He has shown off his musical abilities during his acting career, particularly on shows such as A Bit of Fry & Laurie and House, as well as during his hosting stint on Saturday Night Live in 2005.
He plays keyboard and sings vocals for Band From TV, a charity-driven rock group based in Los Angeles. He also collaborated with Meat Loaf after the artist appeared with him in an episode of House. After this appearance, Laurie played the piano as a guest artist on Meat Loaf's Hang Cool Teddy Bear album of 2010. He also performed and co-wrote the blues comedy song “Sperm Test in the Morning” for Maybe Baby. While starring in House, Laurie has also weaved in several musical storylines and played a range of classic instruments, including Les Paul and Gibson Flying V guitars. His character also owns a Hammond B-3 organ and plays the introduction to Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum in one episode. Laurie also plays a doctor in Kate Bush's video for the song “Experiment IV.”
Laurie has also recorded his own musical collection and made an album for Warner Bros Records in 2011 called Let Them Talk, which was released in Germany and France, featuring a range of collaborations with artists that included Dr. John, Tom Jones and Irma Thomas. That same year, Laurie closed the Cheltenham Jazz Festival with a jazz quintet to great applause and good reviews. He also talked about his love for jazz and the music of New Orleans in the ITV documentary, Perspectives. He released a second studio album, Didn't It Rain, in 2013. He has released three singles to date: You Don't Know My Mind in 2011, and Winin' Boy Blues and Wild Honey in 2013.
