Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film.
Cole Porter was born in Peru, Indiana. His mother gave him the middle name Albert later in his life. With a wealthy grandfather, James Omar Cole, Porter had a comfortable childhood, during which he studied the violin and piano. He preferred the piano, and was soon practicing for two hours every day. At age 11, he wrote a song that his mother helped him publish.
While an undergrad at Yale University, Porter wrote the fight song "Bulldog," as well as other pieces for student productions; his output during these years totaled approximately 300 songs. As his grandfather didn't want him to have a career in music, Porter was dispatched to Harvard's law school. However, he soon switched to studying music (though his grandfather was told he continued to be a law student).
After his first musical, See America First, made an unsuccessful appearance on Broadway in 1916, Porter went to France the next year. World War I was still in progress, and he sent home reports that he had joined the French Foreign Legion. Some writers have been skeptical about Porter's claim, but the Legion lists Porter as one of its soldiers and displays his portrait at its museum in Aubagne. By some accounts, he served in North Africa and was transferred to the French Officers School at Fontainebleau, teaching gunnery to American soldiers. He still participated in an active Parisian social life.
Porter maintained a luxury apartment in Paris, where he entertained lavishly. His parties were extravagant and scandalous and in 1919, he married Linda Lee Thomas, a widowed socialite. Porter's life with Thomas featured travel around Europe. The two set up a home in Paris, and later rented the Palazzo Rezzonico in Venice, Italy. Porter didn't depend on music for an income; in addition to his wife's money, he received financial support from his family. However, he continued to create songs, with his numbers appearing in some London shows.
Porter wrote "Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)" for Paris (1928). The song was a hit, and the beginning of a successful Broadway career that reached new heights in the 1930s. For Gay Divorce (1932), which starred Fred Astaire, Porter wrote "Night and Day." Anything Goes (1934) contained more popular numbers, including "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "You're the Top."
In 1937, Porter was in a riding accident; his horse fell on top of him, crushing both of his legs. The after-effects of his injuries would force Porter to endure more than 30 operations and years of pain. However, in spite of this, he continued to work, producing memorable songs like "Friendship" (1939) and "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" (1942).
Some of Porter's post-accident Broadway shows were successful, if forgettable, such as Something For The Boys (1943). He had a huge flop with Around the World (1946), directed by and starring Orson Welles. In Kiss Me, Kate (1948), adapted from William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, Porter once again had a musical hit, receiving a Tony award for his work. The show's songs include "Too Darn Hot" and "I've Come To Wive It Wealthily In Padua."
Porter's wife died in 1954. Despite his years of extramarital homosexual relationships, she had been a source of friendship and support, and her death was a blow for Porter. He continued to work on both Broadway shows and films—gaining an Academy award nomination for "True Love," written for High Society (1956)—but he also escaped into alcohol and painkillers.
By 1958, due to his accident, Porter's injuries caused a series of ulcers on his right leg. After 34 operations, it had to be amputated and replaced with an artificial limb. Afterwards Porter never wrote another song and spent the remaining six years of his life in relative seclusion, seeing only intimate friends. He continued to live in the Waldorf Towers in New York in his memorabilia-filled apartment. On weekends, he often visited an estate in the Berkshires, and he stayed in California during the summers. Porter died of kidney failure at age 73 on October 15, 1964, in Santa Monica, California.
(Edited
from Biography.com & Wikipedia)