General Biography on Porter

American songwriter Cole Porter (1891-1964) was born into affluent surroundings in Indiana, where his maternal grandfather was described as the wealthiest man in the entire state. With that pedigree, Cole enjoyed all the blessings of a rich education both in music (beginning with violin and piano at a young age) and other liberal arts, studying at Yale. He penned music and lyrics to a hundred songs during these college years. The experience of writing revues and light operetta served Porter well when he turned to Broadway and film in the late 1920s and 1930s. Author of such massive hits as “Night and Day” and “I Get a Kick Out of You,” he became one of the most successful songwriters of that—or any—era in American music history.

(c) Jason Stell