Selton Porter Jr., 65, of Lawnside, a gospel singer and retired social worker, died of complications from diabetes Tuesday at Pennsylvania Hospital.
Since his childhood in South Philadelphia, Mr. Porter had been performing with the Porter Family Singers. The gospel group included his mother, Evelyn, his sisters Darlene and Deborah, his brother, Tyrone, and later his wife, Brenda Robinson Porter.
His father, Selton Porter Sr., managed the group, which sang in area churches, and for 10 years, until 2000, on the Gospel Highway Eleven radio program on WNAP (1110-AM). The Porters recorded two albums in the 1980s, Follow You and Did You Stop to Pray This Morning. The albums included several of Mr. Porter's compositions, which received four-star ratings from Billboard Magazine. Mr. Porter graduated from Thomas Edison High School and attended Philadelphia Community College and Coombs College of Music in Philadelphia. He studied voice, piano and trumpet and was often a featured artist at concerts.
For 25 years, Mr. Porter worked as an employee of the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspection and then as a case manager for the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. He retired eight years ago.
In addition to his sisters and brother, he is survived by a son, Sultan, and four grandchildren. He is predeceased by his parents and his wife.
A life celebration will be at 10 a.m. tomorrow at New Hope Temple Baptist Church, 711 South 12th St., Philadelphia. Friends may call at 8 a.m. Burial will be in Ivy Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.
Since his childhood in South Philadelphia, Mr. Porter had been performing with the Porter Family Singers. The gospel group included his mother, Evelyn, his sisters Darlene and Deborah, his brother, Tyrone, and later his wife, Brenda Robinson Porter.
His father, Selton Porter Sr., managed the group, which sang in area churches, and for 10 years, until 2000, on the Gospel Highway Eleven radio program on WNAP (1110-AM). The Porters recorded two albums in the 1980s, Follow You and Did You Stop to Pray This Morning. The albums included several of Mr. Porter's compositions, which received four-star ratings from Billboard Magazine. Mr. Porter graduated from Thomas Edison High School and attended Philadelphia Community College and Coombs College of Music in Philadelphia. He studied voice, piano and trumpet and was often a featured artist at concerts.
For 25 years, Mr. Porter worked as an employee of the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspection and then as a case manager for the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. He retired eight years ago.
In addition to his sisters and brother, he is survived by a son, Sultan, and four grandchildren. He is predeceased by his parents and his wife.
A life celebration will be at 10 a.m. tomorrow at New Hope Temple Baptist Church, 711 South 12th St., Philadelphia. Friends may call at 8 a.m. Burial will be in Ivy Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.
Source : philly.com
