About
Cole Albert Porter was born on June 9, 1891, in Peru, Indiana, into a wealthy family. Educated at Yale and Harvard, he stood out for writing both music and lyrics for his songs, a rarity on Broadway. In the 1930s, he achieved success with musicals like Anything Goes and Gay Divorce. In 1937, a horseback riding accident left him in chronic pain, but he continued to compose. Kiss Me, Kate (1948) won the first Tony Award for Best Musical. He left over 800 songs, including standards like "Night and Day" and "I've Got You Under My Skin." He died on October 15, 1964, in Santa Monica, California.
* 1891-06-09 — † 1964-10-15
Major works
- Anything Goes (1934)musical
- Kiss Me, Kate (1948)musical
- Gay Divorce (1932)musical
- High Society (1956)film
- Can-Can (1952)musical
Key milestones
- 1913Graduated from Yale University.
- 1937Suffered a horseback riding accident that left him in chronic pain.
- 1948Kiss Me, Kate won the first Tony Award for Best Musical.
Themes
Love and romanceWit and sophisticationMelancholyNostalgiaCelebration of life
Sources: findingaids.loc.gov · anb.org · songhall.org