Those who have heard of Cole Porter will know that he is a great singer and songwriter. He is also a great comedian. He was a very famous figure in the music industry and in the early days of his career, he was considered the best singer in the world. He also went on to become the best friend of Marilyn Monroe.
Early life
During the early life of Cole Porter, he was known as a talented composer and lyricist. He wrote a lot of songs, including some of the most memorable ones in the Broadway musicals. He also had a successful career as a singer. But, Cole Porter suffered from various health problems and had to undergo numerous operations throughout his life. He died on October 15, 1964 in Santa Monica, California.
He was born on June 9, 1891 in Peru, Indiana. His father was Sam Porter. His maternal grandfather was a coal and timber speculator. He tried to instill in Cole a rough individualism. He wanted Cole to become a lawyer. But, Cole wanted to pursue a music career. His mother encouraged him to do so.
In 1906, Cole’s grandfather sent him to Worcester Academy in Massachusetts. He later transferred to Harvard’s School of Arts and Sciences. His grandfather thought that Cole was still interested in becoming a lawyer. In fact, Cole left home at the age of 13 and went to Worcester Academy.
In his formative years, he was interested in playing the piano. But, he grew to dislike the sound of the violin. During his college years, he traveled in gay circles.
He met Linda Lee Thomas when he was in Paris. She was a wealthy divorcee who was well-known in society. She accepted Porter’s homosexuality. They were married on December 18, 1919. They had an interesting relationship for the next two decades. They were involved in several gay love affairs.
He was a songwriter in the 1920s. His score for Fifty Million Frenchmen became a huge success. He contributed songs to Hitchy-Koo and Jubilee.
College years
Throughout his college years, Cole Porter wrote over 300 songs, mostly for amateur shows. He also wrote two football fight songs, “Bulldog” and “Yale Bulldog.” He also sang solos with the Yale Glee Club.
His song “Kiss Me Kate” became a moderately successful movie starring Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Yale in 1960. He also contributed a musical to the stage.
His Yale student show was a zany, musical spectacle that often drew crowds of well-dressed Yale men. This show was based on the Shakespearean play Taming of the Shrew.
In addition to his Yale student show, Porter accompanied vocal groups and played in the Yale Dramatic Association. He wrote songs for the school’s dramatic club and glee club.
His Yale ties lasted far beyond graduation. He composed a song for the school’s “most entertaining” class. He also attended the Worcester Academy in Massachusetts. He later went on to study music at Harvard.
His music career began at a young age. He started playing violin when he was six and piano at eight. He studied circus acrobatics at the Hagenbeck and Wallace circus. He was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and traveled the country.
During his college years, Cole Porter had the best time of his life. He was surrounded by a lot of interesting people, including Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. He also made a few important connections.
He also traveled all over Europe. He even met Monty Woolley, a famous character actor. His first Broadway show was See America First, which was a comic operetta. He left Yale with six full-scale productions.
Career in New York City
During the 1920s, Cole Porter’s career in New York City took off. His songs were catchy and sophisticated. He left a legacy of theatrical shows and melodic lyrics. He wrote songs for a variety of musicals, including Anything Goes, The Taming of the Shrew, and Anything Goes With a Vengeance.
He also composed music for movies. He had a hit song, “Don’t Fence Me In,” which was re-released in World War II’s musical movie Hollywood Canteen. He also wrote the score for the jazz ballet Within the Quota. He also had a number of hits during the 1930s. He died in Santa Monica, California on October 15, 1964.
He was born in Peru, Indiana, on June 9, 1891. His grandfather wanted Porter to become a lawyer, but Cole refused. His mother spoiled him from the start.
Cole began composing when he was ten. His family paid to have his songs published. He studied briefly with noted French composer Vincent d’Indy. Then Cole met Richard Rodgers in Venice.
When Cole was a teenager, his classmates voted him the most entertaining. He was also involved in a variety of social activities. During his years at Yale, he wrote 300 songs. After graduating, Cole moved to New York City to begin his career in the music industry. He lived at the Yale Club and wrote songs for six full-scale productions.
He was also married to wealthy socialite Linda Lee Thomas. They spent the next two decades living a lively, partying lifestyle. They were also famous for their performances of Cole’s witty compositions.
He was one of the most successful songwriters of his time. His first big success was the song, “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love).” His second big success was the song, “Blow, Gabriel, Blow.” He became known as a worldly songwriter with his catchy melodies.
Time in Venice
During Cole Porter’s time in Venice, he was surrounded by a lot of people. They all knew each other, and they were all connected by their mutual love of music.
The parties were extravagant. There were mammoth staircases, archways, and corridors. There were gondoliers and circus acrobats. The party was held in the Palazzo Rezzonico, a famous Italian palace. It was also the home of the poet and playwright Roberto Browning.
There was a scandal surrounding the nephew of the mayor of Venice. It ended Cole’s run in Venice. The palazzo was rented for four seasons.
When Cole was 10 years old, he wrote a song for his mother called “The Song of the Birds.” It included descriptions of birds. He also included a libretto.
During his time in Venice, he learned the rhythms of foreign countries. He translated these into his own songs. He met many interesting people. He even had an affair with Boris Kochno, the librettist for the Ballets Russes.
He was married to Linda Lee Thomas, a wealthy divorcee who was eight years his senior. Their marriage lasted thirty-four years. They had a very glamorous social life. They had zebra-skin chairs, floor-to-ceiling mirrors, and antiques.
He worked as a composer, writer, and singer. His most famous work is Kiss Me Kate, which ran 1,077 performances in 1948. It established him as a great American songwriter.
He also influenced the musicals and operas of the American theater. He has a rich body of work. He has paid half of his income taxes. He has earned a total of over $100,000 in his lifetime.
In his biography, William McBrien sifts through mountains of detail to tell the story of Cole Porter. He provides a wealth of amusing anecdotes.
Death
Despite his early musical success, Porter struggled with health problems throughout his life. He suffered from chronic osteomyelitis and had his right leg amputated in 1958. He also suffered from ulcers and kidney failure. He died in Santa Monica, California, on October 15, 1964.
He was born in Peru, Indiana. His mother was the daughter of a wealthy businessman, J.O. Cole. His maternal grandfather was a coal and timber speculator. He wanted Cole to be a lawyer, but Cole had no interest in that line of work.
He studied music at Harvard and Yale. In 1918, he met Linda Lee Thomas, a divorcee from a loveless marriage. She was a wealthy socialite and well-known in society. They married in 1919.
He wrote songs for Broadway hits such as Anything Goes, Kiss Me, Kate, and Fifty Million Frenchmen. He wrote a fight song, “Bulldog,” while he was at Yale. He had a number of liaisons with men, including actor Monty Woolley, dancer Ed Tauch, and poet Boris Kochno.
After the death of his wife, Linda, in 1954, Porter’s health deteriorated. He began to have emphysema. He lost his mother in 1952. He moved to Hollywood. He was surrounded by international celebrities, but he was still emotionally vulnerable.
He became a charter member of the Lost Generation. He lived a Gerald Murphy-style Jazz Age life, but his personal life was a bit tame.
He was very depressed after his wife’s death, and his medical condition worsened. He underwent thirty surgeries in twenty years. He never recovered full use of his legs.
He was a prominent member of the Lost Generation, and his heroic stories were written about in the press back home. However, many of these stories were simply inventions.
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