About Cole Porter:
Born Cole Albert Porter on June 9, 1891 in Peru, Indiana. Died October 15, 1964 in Santa Monica, California.
Born Cole Albert Porter on June 9, 1891 in Peru, Indiana. Died October 15, 1964 in Santa Monica, California.
The American composer and songwriter learned the violin at age 6 and the piano at 8. He's best known for his songs "Night and Day", "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "I've Got You Under My Skin." Porter also wrote the musicals Kiss Me, Kate, Fifty Million Frenchmen and Anything Goes.
Cole Porter at Yale: In 1909 Porter enrolled at Yale University, where he was a part of the secret society Scroll and Key and Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Porter was also an original member of the Yale University glee club, Whiffenpoofs. While at Yale he wrote the football fight songs "Yale Bulldog" and "Bingo Eli Yale" (or "Bingo, That's The Lingo!"). Porter attended only a year of law school at Harvard before focusing on his music career full time.
Cole Porter, Marriage and Bisexuality: Porter married Kentucky-born Linda Lee Thomas in 1919. At the time of his married, Porter's bisexuality was public knowledge. Porter and Thomas separated in the 1930's after Porter's affairs with Boris Kochno, Howard Sturges, architect Ed Tauch (for whom Porter wrote "Easy to Love"), choreographer Nelson Barclift (who inspired "Night and Day"), director John Wilson, and Ray Kelly. Kelly's children presently retain the rights to Porter's copyright royalties. Cole Porter had no children.
Porter's Later Years: A tragic 1937 riding accident crushed Porter's legs. His right leg was finally amputated after 34 operations. At age 73, he died of Kidney failure. Porter's remains rest at Mount Hope Cemetery in Peru, Indiana.
