Gregory Porter grew up in Bakersfield, CA – the so-called “Nashville of the West”- a city associated with country legends like Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. For Porter, it was a place dominated by the church. His mother was a Baptist Minister and his childhood was filled with the sounds of gospel, jazz and soul music. While you can hear echoes of artists like Nat King Cole, Sam Cooke or Bill Withers in Porter’s soulful, polished delivery, he’s matured into an artist with a voice and songwriting style all his own.
In this segment, Porter discusses his path to becoming a jazz singer, the importance of empathy to his music, and how his own songs helped him reconcile with personal losses during the pandemic.
Gregory Porter will perform live at the Ella Fitzgerald Center for Performing Arts on the UMES campus Sunday, February 19th at 8 PM. Tickets and information can be found here.
