Composer of the Month - November 2009
Cole Albert Porter June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964
Cole Porter was an American composer and songwriter whose works include the musical comedies Kiss Me, Kate, Fifty Million Frenchmen, DuBarry Was a Lady and Anything Goes, as well as songs like "Night and Day", "I Get a Kick out of You", and "I've Got You Under My Skin". He was noted for his sophisticated, bawdy lyrics, clever rhymes, and complex forms. He was one of the greatest contributors to the Great American Songbook and is one of the few Tin Pan Alley composers to have written both lyrics and music for his songs.
Cole's name derives from the surnames of his parents, Kate Cole and Sam Porter. Kate's father, J. O. was the richest man in Indiana and Kate was spoiled throughout her life. She married a shy druggist from their small town of Peru without the full consent of J.O., but he financially subsidized the couple for the rest of their lives, as well as their son Cole Porter.
Early Years
Cole learned piano and violin at age six and composed songs as early as 1901 with a song dedicated to his mother who ensured that one hundred copies were published. He enrolled in the Worcester Academy in 1905, where he was lauded as a precocious youngster. Cole's Yale years included many adventures and many musicals. Most students knew him for the fight songs he would write, many of which continue to be Yale classics. It was during the Yale years when Cole's homosexuality likely became a powerful, if not fully public, part of his life. J.O. Cole tried hard to convince Cole to become a lawyer but eventually he abandoned his studies, moved to New York, and began his serious music career.
Travel
In July 1917 he set out for Paris and war-engulfed Europe where he made up stories about working with the French Foreign Legion while living his days and nights as a wealthy American in Paris.
He was considered a "war hero" back home, an 'official' story he encouraged throughout the rest of his life. His parties were marked by much gay and bisexual activity, cross-dressing, international musicians and a large surplus of recreational drugs! By 1919, Cole was spending time with the American divorcee Linda Thomas. They married and lived a happy friendship, a mostly successful public relationship, but a sexless marriage until Linda's death in 1954.
Porter introduced himself to Broadway with the musical Paris (1928), which featured one of his greatest "list" songs, "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)". Following this Gallic theme, his next show was Fifty Million Frenchmen (1929), which included several popular numbers including "You Do Something to Me".
He started the 1930s with the revue The New Yorkers (1930), which included a song about a streetwalker, "Love for Sale". The lyric was considered too explicit for radio at the time but has gone on to become a standard. Next came Fred Astaire's last stage show, Gay Divorce (1932) which featured a hit that would become perhaps Porter's best-known song, "Night and Day".
In 1934, Porter wrote what is thought by most to be his greatest score of this period, Anything Goes (1934). Its songs include "I Get a Kick out of You", "All Through the Night", perhaps his ultimate "list" song "You're the Top", and "Blow, Gabriel, Blow", as well as the title number.
Anything Goes was also the first Porter show featuring Ethel Merman, who would go on to star in five of his musicals. Jubilee (1935), written with Moss Hart while on a cruise around the world, was not a major hit, but featured "Begin the Beguine" and "Just One of Those Things". Red Hot And Blue (1936), featuring Merman, Jimmy Durante and Bob Hope, introduced "It's De-Lovely" and "Down in the Depths (on the Ninetieth Floor)". Porter also wrote for Hollywood, including the scores for Born to Dance (1936), featuring "I've Got You Under My Skin", and Rosalie (1937), featuring "In the Still of the Night".
Porter continued to live the high life during this period, throwing lavish parties. Then, in 1937, a riding accident crushed his legs and left him in chronic pain, largely crippled. Porter underwent more than 30 surgeries on his legs, was in pain for the rest of his life and the many operations led to severe depression.
Later Years
Porter continued to write successful shows. Leave It to Me! (1938) (introducing Mary Martin singing "My Heart Belongs to Daddy"), DuBarry Was a Lady (1939), Panama Hattie (1940), Let's Face It! (1941), Something for the Boys (1943), and Mexican Hayride (1944) were all hits. Nevertheless, Porter was turning out fewer hit songs and, to some critics, his music was less magical.
In 1948, Porter made a great comeback, writing what was by far his biggest hit show, Kiss Me, Kate. The production won the Tony Award for Best Musical, and Porter won for Best Composer and Lyricist. The score includes "Another Op'nin' Another Show", "Wunderbar", "So In Love", "We Open in Venice", "Tom, Dick or Harry", "I've Come to Wive It Wealthily in Padua", "Too Darn Hot", "Always True to You in My Fashion", and "Brush Up Your Shakespeare". Porter was back on top. Out Of This World (1950) has a great score which includes “From This Moment On” and the show after that, Can-Can (1952),
featuring "C'est Magnifique" and "It's All Right with Me", was a major hit. His last original Broadway production, Silk Stockings (1955) was also successful.
Porter continued to work in Hollywood, writing the scores for two Fred Astaire movies, Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940) and You'll Never Get Rich (1941). He later wrote the songs for the Gene Kelly and Judy Garland musical The Pirate (1948). High Society (1956), starring Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly, had Porter's last major hits, "True Love", “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” and “Well Did You Evah?”.
Eventually, his injuries caught up with him. After a series of operations on his right leg, it had to be amputated in 1958. He never wrote another song and spent his remaining years in relative seclusion. Cole Porter died of kidney failure at the age of 73 in Santa Monica, California.
The popularity of his individual songs has lasted. Many of his most famous songs were presented to the public via sheet music and recordings from popular singers like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
A 1990 album brought Cole Porter music to many younger listeners as the fundraising album Red, Hot, and Blue. The 2004 movie De-Lovely rekindled love for Cole Porter's music with all-star actors and famous musicians.