The Life and Times of Vance Porter: The Mourning Star

The issue of a Vance Porter box set has been a long time coming. It lacks very little of the exceptional career from its inception in the early 60s ensconced in South Philly, precisely the neighborhood that gave us notable teen idols from the late 50s. Philadelphia was the home of Cameo-Parkway Records, Chancellor Records, Swan Records among others, and of course American Bandstand, Jerry Blavat and Hy Lit.

Porter, born with the unlikely name of Vincenzo Jones, began his love affair with the record buying public on AM Top 40 radio. The Mifflins got their name from one of those South Philly streets, the very street where they hung out and sang street corner harmonies. Porter (an assumed surname from yet another street) had a preference for singing with the group in restrooms.The acoustics afforded him the opportunity of a "big wet sound" that he aimed for in the early recordings. He lamented that he couldn't replicate the sound or the feeling in a recording studio. He has been known to say that his favorite restrooms were those at The Sons of Italy were he often frequented in the company of Al Sabatini. Alfonso Sabatini has been credited with "discovering" the young Vincenzo in the old neighborhood.  Porter himself has yet to address it. Cozy De Ciuri, on the original Mifflins isn't certain of how the two met, except that one day they were auditioning for Sabatini and the next they had a recording contract. The Mifflins, close friends all, dubbed Porter 'Vance' from the way his father, who was from Arkansas, pronounced 'Vince'. It stuck. By the time the group became Vance Porter and The Mifflins, it was a trio with Donato La Torre, Vance's childhood friend and Giano 'John-o' who was brought into the fold by Vanessa Benedict Porter, Vance's some time wife and mother to Raj Porter, their famous musician son. Vanessa Benedict is a music trailblazer in her own right. She was lead singer of The Holidays and later on her own with a multi-platinum album, I'm Not Billie. She usually speaks glowingly of the years when The Mifflins and The Holidays performed on the same bill and sometimes together. They were an integral part of the Philly music scene and eventually the national and international scenes. The Mifflins are just the first chapter in this story. It was a vocal group, like its lead singer, Vance, which seemed more grown up than it actually was.The Mifflins survived because they progressed through the 60s along with The Holidays. They progressed without losing their urban charm. The first chapter ends on a high note with Vance and Vanessa's ground breaking duet, which not only acknowledged their relationship, but also top 40 radio's first interracial pairing. Neither career was buried but actually gave impetus to them as important and innovative. By the time the Mifflins were composed of Vance, Donato La Torre and Giano Cupizia, the music evolved. Porter always maintained his attachment to his roots and he was well served musically by the other two men. Vanessa crossed the Atlantic with her son (via Vance) Raj and established herself as an international artist based in Italy, although a disastrous second marriage nearly derailed her life. The 3 men joined her there when Vance accepted a role in the film, Agrodolce filmed in Rome. Life changed when Herc died in the late 80s and darkness prevailed. Porter for a while had nothing to say. Vanessa and Giano only spoke of it in the vaguest of terms. It eventually opened the door to the dramatic and intense web of their private lives (to be continued)

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