This Thing Called Love? Is it the girl? Why marry them? And other Cole Porter conundrums
Story and photos by Judy Crowell
hat Valentines Day
would be complete without a hot-house rose, love letter words, a silver moon, dancing to just one of those things and a table for two? How about a sight-seeing tour, dinner by candlelight at The Siding? The side-car setting is wonderful andbetween you and methe only place to eat in Peru, Ind., birthplace and early
Westleigh, the Porter family farm in Peru, Ind.
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LADUENEWS.COM
home to Cole Porter, one of the
most famous, most prolific American composers, whose romantic lyrics are so easy to love. What a priceless pleasure, what a charming afternoon and weekend affair with your Valentine: a stay in Porters recently restored childhood home, now including the Cole Porter Suite, the Anything Goes Suite and the Night and Day Suite. Kate the Great, Porters mother and true love, encouraged her sons extraordinary musical talent unlike his maternal grandfather, J.O. Cole, a curmudgeon and millionaire, who, for no rhyme or reason, mercilessly badgered his grandson to study law. I know its not meant for me, countered the young prodigy and from this moment on, it was written in the stars that he would get out of town. At the age of 10, a defiant Cole wrote on his bedroom wall, I dont want to be a lawyer! At Worcester Academy, Porter was the only student with a piano in his room. At Yale, he served as president of the Yale Glee Club and
Porters 1955 Fleetwood Cadillac at Miami County Museum
was an original member of the
Whiffenpoofs. Realizing that opportunity knocks but once and vowing to follow every fancy, he got away from it all in Paris. Here he metand to the surprise of allsaid, I do, marrying the wealthy and beautiful Linda Lee Thomas, a Kentucky-born divorce several years his senior. The marriage of this closeted homosexual genius and the sophisticated, well-connected Linda was as complex, loving and ultimately as enduring as the composers incomparable music. Although it may not be a destination or a big town, a visit to Peru and Cole Porters birthplacelike another sentimental songwill have your Valentine sweetie saying, Lets do it, lets fall in love. Cole Porter composed both the melodies and lyrics to almost 1,000 songs. Ive included 33 titles within the text of this article, in the order in which they appear. If you can identify 25, youre sensational. If you find 30, youre the top. Oopsthat makes 35 titles! Find the answers on page 47.