JAZZ-SOUL legend Gregory Porter and a decade of SUCCESS

Gregory joins Disney for the launch of their Magical Christmas Campaign ‘From Our Family to Yours’ in Support of Make-A-Wish® including New Animated Advert.

With family togetherness at its heart, festive short ‘The Stepdad’ follows a family’s journey as they navigate their first Christmas together. The advert celebrates the power of storytelling to inspire imagination and the magic created by reading together. Gregory Porter performs the original advert soundtrack ‘Love Runs Deeper’, available today as a charity single in support of Make-A-Wish® International. The creation of the advert also enabled Make-A-Wish UK to grant a very special wish for 13-year-old Dylan, whose wish was to be an animator.

The short film will premiere across TV & Digital plus Disney’s own channels in 45 countries. In 2020, Disney’s consumer Christmas campaign amassed over 106 million views. This campaign once again supports long-standing partner, Make-A-Wish, helping the charity to create lifechanging wishes for children with critical illnesses that can be an important part of the healing process. Since 1980, Disney has helped Make-A-Wish grant more than 145,000 life-changing wishes around the world – bringing light, hope and joy to wish children and their families.

Love Runs Deeper is written by LA-based songwriters PARKWILD, the track also features CHERISE, a member of Tomorrow’s Warriors, an organisation committed to increasing diversity and equality across the arts through jazz music. For every download before 31st December 2021, 100% of the proceeds from the retail price will be donated to Make-A-Wish International.

The advert was developed and produced by Disney EMEA’s in-house creative team, led by Angela Affinita, Director of Brand Marketing and Creative, in partnership with Flux Animation Studios in New Zealand and story consultants, POCC.

Gregory says of Love Runs Deeper:

The lyrics of the track are so powerful, and underline that behind everything there is love. When I read the first line of ‘Love Runs Deeper’, “When you open the door, I will be standing there”, I was truly moved by its emotion and storytelling. I knew I needed to be involved with this campaign and support Make-A-Wish.

GREGORY ALSO PERFORMED AT THE GQ HEROES EVENT IN OXFORSHIRE

GQ Heroes is a thought focusing leadership summit for top tier business & creative minds to explore and debate the relationship between luxury, media, politics, music, art, television, wellness and mental health.

OUT ON FRIDAY 5TH NOVEMBER: Still Rising is an exquisite selection box of musical delights. The first disc includes five brand-new tracks, two new arrangements and nine of Porter’s most loved global favourites. The second disc features breath-taking covers and duets, boasting songs with Paloma Faith, Moby, Jamie Cullum, Jeff Goldblum, Ella Fitzgerald and many more.

Of the collection, Porter says:

This is my music up until now, but it’s not a ‘Greatest Hits’. They often come at the end of someone’s career, and I still feel new and young in mine. I have much more to say. There is always something in an artist’s career that people don’t know about; I wanted to bring it to their attention. The album title echoes my last one, All Rise, because I am reiterating something evident in my music and the new songs here – this upward-looking optimism about life and love. It’s an unfinished story for me, both musically and personally. And I’m still learning how to do this. Still rising.

Over the past decade, Gregory Porter has taken the world by storm, bringing contemporary Jazz to the masses. Collecting numerous accolades and acknowledgements, including two Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album. He is a well-loved favourite on TV shows such as Graham Norton, Jools Holland, Strictly Come Dancing and was the first celebrity to sing on CBeebies Bedtime Stories!

In 2019 the singer launched and hosted his own podcast, ‘The Hang’, which has amassed two successful series to date and played host to a range of celebrity guests. Earlier this year, Porter released ‘The PorterHouse with Gregory Porter’ Presented by Citi, a six-episode cooking series in which the singer shares recipes inspired by his local community, culinary experiences on tour and his own family cooking traditions.

A seasoned performer, Porter has performed for The Queen on multiple occasions, singing Amazing Grace at the Royal Albert Hall and at the 70th Anniversary VE Day celebrations & the iconic Pyramid stage at Glastonbury. A global phenomenon, he consistently sells out venues worldwide. This year, after a long break due to the covid-19 pandemic, Gregory Porter sold out four stellar performances per across 3 dates at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall. He will be returning to create the magic all over again in May 2022 for a wider UK Tour. Further details below, tickets available here.