David Porter (musician)
The architect behind the Stax Records sound, co-writing a catalog of soul standards that gave voice to a generation's dreams and heartaches.
Born 1941 (age 85)·American record producer, singer and songwriter·Birthday: November 21·The Silent Generation
Biography
In the cramped, creative pressure cooker of Stax Records in Memphis, David Porter was one half of a songwriting engine that powered soul music's golden age. Partnering with Isaac Hayes, Porter crafted songs that were not just melodies and lyrics, but fully realized dramatic scenes. They worked for the artists, tailoring material to specific voices. For Sam & Dave, they built explosive call-and-response sermons like 'Soul Man' and 'Hold On, I'm Comin'.' For Carla Thomas, they penned the sweetly defiant 'B-A-B-Y.' Porter understood the rhythm of conversation, the cadence of the pulpit, and the raw emotion of the blues, blending them into timeless hits. After Stax's dissolution, he transitioned seamlessly into entrepreneurship and philanthropy in Memphis, but his musical legacy is indelible. The songs he built with Hayes became the backbone of Southern soul, covered by countless artists and forever embedded in the soundtrack of American life, testaments to his genius for capturing universal feelings in a few perfect lines.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
David was born in 1941, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1941
#1 Movie
Sergeant York
Best Picture
How Green Was My Valley
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1941Born
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1946Started school
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1954Became a teenager
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Could drive
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1959Could vote
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Turned 21
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1971Turned 30
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 40
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 50
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 60
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 70
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 80
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 85 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote the soul classics 'Soul Man,' 'Hold On, I'm Comin',' and 'When Something Is Wrong with My Baby' for Sam & Dave.
- Formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships in soul music with Isaac Hayes at Stax Records.
- Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 for his enduring contributions to American music.
- His songs have been sampled and covered by hundreds of artists across hip-hop, rock, and pop genres.
Did You Know?
He discovered the soul singer-songwriter Homer Banks early in his career.
He initially aspired to be a performer and released several singles under the name 'Kenny Cain' before finding his calling as a writer.
He served as a mentor to the rap duo OutKast, executive producing their early demo.
He founded a youth development and education charity called The Consortium MMT in Memphis.
“We were writing from a perspective of life. We were writing about things that people lived every day.”
