Biography
Cole Porter (1891 - 1964) was an American composer and lyricist, with a major contribution to the evolution of the musical, the predominantly American theatrical genre. He is best known for the musicals "Kiss Me Kate" (1948) and "Can-Can" (1953), as well as for his hundreds of songs, which have been performed by artists of various genres and performed by great jazz musicians.
He was born on June 9, 1891 in Peru, Indiana to a very wealthy family. He started studying violin at the age of 6, piano at the age of 8 and a little later he started composing. He studied law and music at Yale and Harvard universities. During his studies he wrote over 300 songs, many of which were used for university performances. After completing his studies, he uploaded his first musical comedy on Broadway, which lasted for 15 performances.
In 1917, after his country entered World War I, he went to France as a member of a charity and joined the French Legion of Foreigners, entertaining French soldiers in North Africa, for which he was honored with a medal by the French government. After the end of the war he remained in France, continuing his studies in composition. In late 1919 he married the wealthy American Linda Lee Thomas - eight years his senior - although there were strong rumors that he was gay. They remained married until her death in 1954, each making their own, secular life. For most of the 1920s, he lived in Europe and in the late 1980s returned to the United States, where he soon began to excel on Broadway. The 1930s were Porter's golden age, with many successful performances, making him one of the most important songwriters in the music scene. Unlike other successful Broadway composers, Porter wrote about his songs and music and lyrics. After a serious accident while riding in 1937, Porter stopped producing his music for a long time, as he underwent 30 surgeries, including the amputation of one of his legs.
Cole Porter died of liver failure on October 15, 1964 in Santa Monica, California.