Billy Porter

Billy Porter may refer to:

See also

Billy Porter (criminal)

William O'Brien (1850 – unknown), better known as Billy Porter but also known by the alias William or Billy Morton, was an American burglar and underworld figure in New York City during the mid-to late 19th century. He and partner Johnny Irving were longtime members of the Dutch Mob along with Little Freddie and Michael "Sheeny Mike" Kurtz. He was present during the 1883 gunfight at Shang Draper's saloon in which Irving was shot and killed by rival John "Johnny the Mick" Walsh. O'Brien then killed Walsh and was himself gunned down by Shang Draper. Although surviving his wounds, he was tried for, and acquitted of, Walsh's death.

Like many of the Dutch Mob, O'Brien was also associated with the infamous bank robber George Leonidas Leslie and his gang. Nearly a year after the Walsh murder trial, he was among those suspected of Leslie's murder in 1884. He was among those profiled in Thomas F. Byrnes's Professional Criminals of America (1886).

Biography

William O'Brien was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1850. He was a printer by trade but began his criminal activities at a young age. By early adulthood, O'Brien had been arrested in almost every major city in the United States and was considered "second to no one in his business". According to former NYPD police detective Thomas F. Byrnes in Professional Criminals of America (1886), he was described as

Billy Porter (entertainer)

Billy Porter (born September 21, 1969, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a Broadway performer, pop singer, film and television actor and vocal coach. He graduated from the Musical Theatre Program at Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School's School of Drama and achieved fame performing on Broadway before going off on a solo career as a singer.

Porter won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role as Lola in Kinky Boots at the 67th Tony Awards. For the role, Porter also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical and Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical.

Career

He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts with a B.F.A in Drama as well as a certification from The Professional Program In Screenwriting at UCLA.

During the summers of 1987 and 1988, Porter was a member of an entertainment group called "Flash" which performed daily at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, Pa.

He played the Teen Angel in the 1994 revival of Grease!. Other plays he has been in include Topdog/Underdog at City Theatre (2004),Jesus Christ Superstar and Dreamgirls at Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, and the song cycles "Myths and Hymns" and "Songs for a New World" (Off-Broadway, 1995)