“The world has gone mad today, and good’s bad today, and black’s white today, and day’s night today….”
TRQ: Cole Porter, Born June 9, 1891
Composer, songwriter and lyricist Cole Porter, most well known for the wit and sophistication he brought to his musicals, was born in Peru, Indiana. His family was wealthy, having made their money in the coal and timber industries.
Although he attended Worcester Academy in hopes that he would pursue a law career, and enrolled at Yale in 1909 to study English, music and French. There he wrote over 300 songs including musicals for the Yale Dramatic Association, and two fight songs for football team. After graduating from Yale, Porter attended Harvard Law School for one year, and then transferred to Harvard’s School of Music.
By 1915, Porter had contributed his song, “Esmeralda,” to the Broadway review Hands Up. He followed that up with his first full production, See America First, a certifiable failure that closed after two weeks.
The next year, in 1917, after the United States joined World War I, Porter moved to Paris and claimed he had joined the French Foreign Legion. Conflicting reports tell of his time in North Africa, at the French Officers School at Fontainebleau, and the American Aviation Headquarters. While the Legion does list Porter as one of its soldiers, there is no record of Porter joining any branch of the forces.
What is indisputable is Porter’s enthusiasm for the Parisian social life. Porter hosted extravagant all-male parties known for their abundance of gay sex and drugs, that were attended by European royalty and international artists and musicians. In 1918, when homosexuality was widely considered taboo, Porter married Linda Lee Thomas, a socialite who helped Porter hide his sexuality.
Though he continued to write music during this time, Porter’s financial security came not from his music but from his family, and Thomas has already been independently wealthy. Together they kept the palatial home on the rue Monsieur Paris, travelled around Europe, and stayed at the Palazzo Rezzonico in Venice, Italy. There he would host parties with entertainment by the Ballet Russes and tightrope workers, and footman service by hired gondoliers.
In 1928, when Porter was 36 years old, his song “Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall in Love” became a hit when appeared in the musical Paris. At the same time, he contributed music to the successful Le Revue in Paris, a show which he was also supervising. Porter was establishing his reputation as one of Broadway’s most talented. In New York, Porter’s world was both homosexual and scandalous, but also glamorous and exceptionally exclusive.
During the 1930’s Porter wrote some of his most well known music, including “Night and Day” (1932), “Miss Otis Regrets” (1934), “Anything Goes” (1934), “I Get a Kick Out of You” (1934), “Don’t Fence Me In” (1934), “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (1936), “Let’s Misbehave” (1937), to name just some.
In 1937, Porter suffered from a horse-riding accident in which both of his legs were crushed. Even after thirty surgeries, Porter was in constant pain. His work for the next ten years would fail to gain much acclaim.
In 1948, Porter had a comeback with “Kiss Me, Kate” which earned Tony awards for Best Musical, and Best Composer and Lyricist. Still suffering from the riding accident, over the years Porter had increasingly relied on alcohol and painkillers, which impacted his work. In 1956, he was nominated for an Academy award for “True Love, ” written for the film High Society.
By 1958, Porter had stopped writing. He was devastated by the loss of his mother in 1952, and his wife in 1954. In 1958, his right leg had to be amputated and replaced with an artificial leg. Afterwards he retreated into seclusion. He divided his time among the Waldorf Towers in New York, an estate in the Berkshires, and California, where he died in Santa Monica from kidney failure on October 15, 1964.
Since his death, his songs have been recorded by the likes of Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney, Yo-Yo Ma, Frank Sinatra, U2 and Annie Lennox. In 2007 he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has been inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame and Great American Songbook Hall of Fame. In 2014 he was given a plaque on the Legacy Walk in Chicago for LGBT achievers.
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