- published: 26 May 2015
- views: 7140610
Gregory Porter is a jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actor. His debut album, Water, released in 2010 via Motéma Music, was nominated for Best Jazz Vocal album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. He was also a member of the original Broadway cast of It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues. His sophomore album, Be Good, which contains many of Porter's compositions, was released on February 14th, 2012, and garnered critical acclaim for both his distinctive singing and his compositions, such as "Be Good (Lion's Song), "Real Good Hands", and "On My Way To Harlem".
Porter was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Bakersfield, California, where his mother was a minister. He attended San Diego State University on a football scholarship until a shoulder injury sidelined him permanently. Performing in local jazz clubs, Porter met saxophonist, pianist, and composer Kamau Kenyatta, whose mentoring played an integral role in Porter's career trajectory and professional development. Kenyatta introduced Gregory to flautist Hubert Laws who, upon hearing Porter singing along to Charlie Chaplin's "Smile", chose to include a bonus track featuring Porter's vocals on his Hubert Laws' Remembers the Unforgettable Nat King Cole (1998). Eloise Laws, Hubert's sister, happened to be visiting the studio, and helped get Porter cast in one of the leading roles in a new musical, It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues, which premiered at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts before moving to Off-Broadway and ultimately Broadway, in spite of previously having appeared in only one other theatrical work, Avenue X.
Disclosure - Holding On (Official Audio) ft. Gregory Porter
Disclosure - Holding On ft. Gregory Porter
Johnny Stimson - Holding On (Official Video)
Gregory Porter - Holding On
♫ Broken yet holding on
MONSTA - HOLDING ON [SKRILLEX REMIX] [DUBSTEP 2013] ft. NERO
Flume - Holdin On
Julio Bashmore - Holding On (Official Video) ft. Sam Dew
Julio Bashmore - Holding On
Holding On -- Jamie Grace
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Keep doing it
Yeah, yeah
When I was a little boy and growing up
I, I didn't know myself what's left and right
I'm all pent up
Said holding on
They said, keep, keep holding
Holding, holding on
My mama told me this
She said don't grow up too quickly
She said grow up boy, grow up boy
She said hold on, keep on
Holding on, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Mama told me
That's what she said
Keep holding babe
Holding, holding
Holding on
He stopped holding on
She said to me, she said to me
Keep holding on
I honey, I said I would keep holding
Oooh, oh, oh, ooh, oh
(Ad-libbed lyrics)
Yeah, yeah
Yeah
Holding
I said keep holding, holding
My big brother told me
He said, I don't need you as a brother, babe
I wanna, I wanna keep holding on
That's what he said
I just keep holding, holding
(Ad-libbed lyrics)
(Ad-libbed lyrics)
You do that
One more time
I keep holding on, yeah
I just keep holding, holding on
Holding on, key change
Yeah
Holding on, holding on
I just keep holding on, holding on
My mama told me that
I gotta keep holding on, yeah, yeah, ha, ha, ha, yeah
Wooh, oooh, ooh, oh, oh, oh
Ha, ha
Now it's your turn babe
Go, go
(Ad-libbed lyrics)
(Ad-libbed lyrics)
(Ad-libbed lyrics)
(Ad-libbed lyrics)
Yeah, ha
Hang on, what