Gregory Porter, 53, is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter. He is best known for creating soulful jazz music with his unmistakable baritone voice.
Back in 2021 appeared on ITV’s This Morning to discuss his album All Rise. Whenever he makes a public appearance, Gregory always wears a hat and there is a reason for this.
Gregory made his music debut in 2010 but it wasn’t until a couple of years later when he was seen wearing a hat.
The headpiece, is actually a Kangol Summer Spitfire with a modified strap. In a 2012 interview with Jazzweekly.com, he was asked: “What’s with the weird and wonderful hat?”
He explained: “I’ve had some surgery on my skin, so this has been my look for a little while and will continue to be for a while longer. People recognise me by it now. It is what it is.”
In 2020, Gregory confirmed the headgear is now part of his look: “It started off covering some scars from surgery but it’s become my style.
“I was in Denver and it was cold. I was wearing five layers of clothing and I wore a hat. It warmed up and I thought, ‘Actually, this is comfortable, this is a look.’
“I started to sing in a jazz club in Denver and people were like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s the guy with the hat.’ So it became a thing,” Metro’s Sixty Seconds reported.
The hat is so iconic, when Gregory has taken it off and appeared in public, he doesn’t get spotted.
“The only time I didn’t get recognised I took off my hat to swim in the ocean in Ibiza and no one recognised me,” he revealed.
“I went back to my hotel and put my hat on…and there was Gregory Porter. But it’s ok because people are trying to connect and take a picture and say thank you for some joy they had.
“I’m really ok with it and I always honour people and they honour me by coming to my concerts. I’m thankful,” Metro published. Gregory also spoke about a time he was recognised while travelling.
“I get recognised for the hat in airports. In the UK, they know me quite well but they don’t give me a free pass, I get fully checked and secured,” he revealed. There has been a time or two when I have been asked to sing to let them know it’s really me.
“When a person in uniform asks you to do something you are conditioned to do it,” The Independent published.
Gregory won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album twice, first in 2014 for Liquid Spirit and then again in 2017 For Take Me To The Alley.
Gregory is singing tonight on ITV at 7.30pm during Royal Carols: Together at Christmas.
The show has been choreographed by Kate, Prince of Wales, and was filmed earlier this month at Westminster Abbey in front of 1,600 guests.
