Gregory Porter is a Grammy Award winning American singer, songwriter, and actor. Gregory Porter was born on November 4, 1971, in Sacramento, California; he was one of seven siblings and his mother was a minister. Gregory graduated from Highland High School and earned a football scholarship to San Diego State University. Porter moved to Brooklyn in 2004 and worked as a chef at Lloyd’s restaurant; he also sang at the restaurant and other various neighborhood venues. Porter would eventually move to the Harlem musical club known as St. Nick’s Pub where he formed what would later become his touring band.  Before signing with Blue Note Records, Porter released two albums with the Motema label, Water in 2010, and Be Good, in 2012. His debut album, Water, was nominated for a Grammy Award as the Best Jazz Vocal album.

His third album, Liquid Spirit, won the Grammy Award in 2014 for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Other releases by Porter include Liquid Spirit (2013), Issues of Life (2014), Take Me to the Alley (2015), Live in Berlin (2016), Nat King Cole & Me (2017), and One Night Only-Live at Royal Albert Hall (2018).  In 2015, Christian Broecking wrote Gregory Porter’s biography entitled, Gregory Porter: Jazz, Gospel, and Soul.