Born on November 4, 1971 in Sacramento, California and raised in Bakersfield,
Gregory Porter was one of seven children. Enchanted by his mother's Nat King
Cole records, he grew up immersed in gospel, jazz music and sports. He won an
athletic scholarship to San Diego State University, but his promising football
career was cut short by a shoulder injury, His mother Ruth, who died of cancer
when he was 21, urged him to concentrate on music instead. Mentored by
pianist/sax player Kamau Kenyatta, he moved to Brooklyn in 2004 where he worked
as a chef at a restaurant and also sang regu...