9 June Cole Porter

On this date in 1891, Cole Porter was born. He was an American songwriter whose songs are known for their witty lyrics.

1. He was born in Peru, Indiana. His father was a pharmacist.
2. His mother was ambitious and strong-willed. She had him learning the Violin at six and writing his first operetta when he was ten. His mother managed to get it published, lying about his age to make him seem even more precocious than he was.
3. He was sent to boarding school in Massachusetts. He took a Piano with him and would entertain his classmates. He later went to Yale to study English and also studied Music and French. He belonged to several music groups there and wrote for the college magazine. He eventually became president of the Yale Glee Club. During his time at Yale he wrote about 300 songs.
4. His grandfather wanted him to become a lawyer and after Yale he went to Harvard to study law, but soon realised a career in law was not for him and switched to music. His mother was fine with it, but his grandfather was never told he’d switched courses.
5. The first of his songs to be performed on Broadway was called Esmeralda, which appeared in a revue called Hands Up.
6. The first of his songs to be a massive hit, however, was Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love, from the musical Paris.
7. During the first world war, he claimed that he served in the French Foreign Legion. Even here he was an entertainer – he had a portable piano made for him which he could carry on his back and set up anywhere to entertain his fellow troops. However, it may simply have been a rumour he spread himself when in actual fact he spent the war partying in Paris.
8. He was gay, but married nevertheless, a divorcee called Linda Lee Thomas who was eight years older than him. She knew he was gay and it was a marriage of convenience in many ways. The marriage gave her a continued social status and him a heterosexual front at a time when being gay was not as acceptable as it is now. They were, however, devoted to one another and remained married until Linda died.
9. He suffered a riding accident in his 40s – his Horse rolled on him, crushing his legs, which left him crippled and in constant pain. Doctors told him that one, or even both of his legs would have to be amputated, but he refused point blank to have the operation. However, 20 years later, his leg had to be amputated anyway because of ulcers. While he was free of pain after this, he stopped writing songs and lived in seclusion, only seeing close friends.
10. His songs include Miss Otis Regrets, Anything Goes, I Get a Kick Out of You, Don't Fence Me In, Begin the Beguine, I've Got You Under My Skin, Well, Did You Evah! and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

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