Born in Peru, Indiana. Celebrated songwriter and bon vivant. Composed his first song at age 11. An heir to a fortune, he went to Yale University and Harvard Law School, then, during a period of personal crisis, joined the French Foreign Legion in 1916. Two years later he had his first Broadway hit, Hitchy-Koo. From 1929 (starting with his musical Fifty Million Frenchmen) until 1957 (when Mr. Wonderful closed), it was difficult to find a time when there wasn't a Cole Porter show running on Broadway, and most of his hit Broadway musicals were transferred to film with similar success: Wake Up and Dream, The New Yorkers, The Gay Divorce, Anything Goes, Jubilee, Red, Hot & Blue, You Never Know, Leave It to Me!, DuBarry Was a Lady, Panama Hattie, Let's Face It, Something for the Boys, Mexican Hayride, Seven Lively Arts, Out of This World, Kiss Me Kate, Can-Can, Silk Stockings and All in One. His songs were used in THE BATTLE OF PARIS (1929), PAREE, PAREE and THE GAY DIVORCÉE (both 1934), BORN TO DANCE (1936), THE SINGING MARINE and ROSALIE (both 1937), BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940, CASTLE ON THE HUDSON and LOVE THY NEIGHBOR (all 1940), HIGH SIERRA, ANDY HARDY'S PRIVATE SECRETARY, MILLION DOLLAR BABY and YOU'LL NEVER GET RICH (all 1941), SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT, ACTION IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC, HERS TO HOLD and I DOOD IT (all 1943), DON'T FENCE ME IN (1945), NIGHT AND DAY (1946), THIS TIME FOR KEEPS (1947), THE PIRATE and THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE (both 1948), ADAM'S RIB (1949), STAGE FRIGHT (1950), SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET (1951), THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO (1952), HIGH SOCIETY (1956), LES GIRLS (1957) and several films after his death. In 1937 he suffered a riding accident that resulted in multiple operations and finally the amputation of a leg in 1958. Through years of agonizing pain he had continued to travel, entertain lavishly, and compose for Broadway and Hollywood his popular songs, famous for their witty, risqué lyrics. Among his hundreds of songs, some of the most memorable (non-nominated) standards include "Another Opening Another Show," "Anything Goes," "Begin the Beguine," "Brush Up Your Shakespeare," "(It's) De-Lovely," "Don't Fence Me In," "Easy to Love," "From This Moment On," "Gypsy in Me," "I Concentrate on You," "I Get a Kick Out of You," "I Love Paris," "I Love You," "It's All Right with Me," "Just One of Those Things," "Let's Do It," "Let's Misbehave," "Love for Sale," "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," "Night and Day," "Stereophonic Sound," "Too Darn Hot," "What Is This Thing Called Love?", "Wunderbar," "You Do Something to Me" and "You're the Top." Porter was married to Linda Lee Thomas from 1919 until her death in 1954. On screen, he was portrayed by Cary Grant in the film biography NIGHT AND DAY (1946) and by Kevin Kline in DE-LOVELY (2004).

Nominated for Music Awards (Best Song) 1936: BORN TO DANCE "I've Got You Under My Skin" - Music & Lyric  Nominated for Music Awards (Best Song) 1941: YOU'LL NEVER GET RICH "Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye" - Music & Lyric  Nominated for Music Awards (Best Song) 1943: SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" - Music & Lyric  Nominated for Music Awards (Best Song) 1956: HIGH SOCIETY "True Love" - Music & Lyric 4 nominations