There's no telling if Hurricane Gustav will take a turn and hit New Orleans; but if it does, there's one voice -- and a distinct one at that -- that will likely be heard again loud and clear in the Big Easy.

Jazz crooner Harry Connick Jr. has been on top of the New Orleans' rebuilding efforts since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina ravaged his birthplace in 2005. Connick's loss became personal as he witnessed first-hand that his boyhood home was destroyed beyond repair.

Connick was one of the most prominent celebrities on the scene in the aftermath of Katrina in 2005, and used his public persona to raise the awareness of the damage to the nation. The musician was instrumental, so to speak, in organizing a relief concert that was broadcast on NBC.

Days after that appearance, New Orleans' Habitat for Humanity chapter made Connick the Honorary Chairman of the organization's "Operation Home Delivery" -- a long-term initiative to help the city's residents rebuild.

In honor of his musical upbringing in New Orleans, Connick teamed with fellow native Branford Marsalis and Habitat for Humanity to create the Musician's Village in the Upper Ninth Ward of the city.

After purchasing 8.1 acres from the New Orleans School Board for the village, the group's efforts flourished. By September 2007, all 72 homes planned for the site had either been completed or were under construction thanks to the efforts of thousands of volunteers.

The site is not exclusively for musicians, although the central idea of the project is to establish a community where musicians young and old can collaborate or just hang out.

Ground has also been broken on the centerpiece of the Musician's Village, the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, which will eventually become a facility for musicians to meet and hang out.

The groundbreaking was naturally kicked off with an array of music.

"A musical celebration like this is the only way we could get started on the construction of the Center," said Jim Pate, executive director of the New Orleans area Habitat for Humanity. "These are the types of performances that will happen at the center and throughout the streets as more and more musicians move in."