Grammy winner Gregory Porter discusses the tragic Covid loss that changed his biggest hits

Gregory Porter is preparing for a landmark performance with the Metropole Orkest at Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium on June 29. Yet, the two-time Grammy winner revealed his biggest hits have taken on a heavy, unexpected new meaning following the death of his brother, Lloyd, from Covid-19. He died on what would have been her birthday, he said during a touching appearance on the Dam Yankee podcast out now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more services.

Lloyd was instrumental in Porter's career, inviting him to New York to help with a coffee shop venture, and encouraging him to pursue his art full-time. That lifelong support now colors Porter's live shows, bringing him to tears when performing what was originally a breakup song, "Water Under Bridges."

"I realized he is the somebody that told me to get over it. You know, I wrote that song standing next to him," Porter said of his brother. "So when I sing the song now, it did mean something; it used to be about that girl. But it's about the somebody who told me to get over it. It's about him," he told Dam Yankee host Zack Newmark.

[Hear the full story of Lloyd's impact on Porter's life at 33:40]

His mother, Ruth, raised eight children, including Porter and Lloyd. She led a life of extraordinary generosity, once giving away 600 dollars from her deathbed to a homeless family. The strong ties to his mother and brother often come up while Porter is singing on stage.

"Sometimes the memories are so strong," he said, even when singing his celebrated hits, "Liquid Spirit" and "Take Me To The Alley." The songs bring up memories from when he was a kid joining his mother while she did her ministerial work, and the latter especially links to one time in particular when she helped someone named, Bob.

"He was a Harvard-educated man who just couldn't get it all together. He was very intelligent. And all he wanted from my mother was a room. She had a little hotel, and so she gave him a room. And she would ask me to boil a pot of coffee and bring him some donuts from out of the freezer."

Porter grew emotional retelling the story. "And Bob would be so thankful for this cup of coffee and frozen donuts from my mother. But those type of moments come to my head when I'm singing that song. Handing clothes to people. I remember, and I think of her real conviction and real love that she had for people."

[Gregory on his mother's teachings and her impact on Liquid Spirit at 57:50]

Despite selling out international venues today, Porter once felt deep imposter syndrome. He recalled watching Jill Scott perform from the back of a large room at the North Sea Jazz Festival and convincing himself that he would never reach her level of success.

"And I remember saying to myself, I'll never do this. I'll never fill this space or this place," Porter felt at the time. "'I'll never be that significant to people.' I remember saying that to myself, that matter of factly."

Porter’s resilience is rooted in his childhood in Bakersfield, California, where Ruth shielded her children from violent racism. She combated bigotry with fierce affirmation and extraordinary generosity.

[Watch Gregory describe overcoming his early doubts at 06:20]

Reflecting on her protection, Porter looks back with pride. "She got in our face and let us know that we were handsome, beautiful children and we deserved every bit as good of a life as anybody else. Not better but equal to anybody," he said.

Gregory Porter will perform with the critically-acclaimed Metropole Orkest on June 29 at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam. Conducted by Vince Mendoza, the show has tickets ranging from 65 to 80 euros. Follow Porter on YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, Facebook, and his website.

This full episode of Dam Yankee can be seen on YouTube, or listen to the Dam Yankee on all major podcast platforms.