USA TODAY International Edition
Porter shows his ‘ Worth’ with ’ 60s hit
Billy Porter is channeling the past by bringing you a message from the future.
The singer, actor and Broadway performer has covered Stephen Stills’ beloved Buffalo Springfield hit “For What It’s Worth,” out Friday.
Porter, who says he has “always been a political person,” said the upcoming presidential election and the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic were primary factors in his decision to revisit a 1966 classic. A frequent critic of President Donald Trump, Porter says recent events have reminded him of the groundbreaking work done during the civil rights era, the Vietnam War and other times of conflict in U. S. history.
“There was a time where the artists of the day were really responding to what was going on in their world, and I wanted to, as a very engaged political person, speak to what’s going on in the world today,” Porter tells USA TODAY.
Porter says he took “For What It’s Worth” to “a new place,” putting his own soulful spin on the classic tune and “speaking truth to power.”
He wanted his message to be about change.
“Change that sticks. Change for good. My hope is people will walk away knowing that change is not temporary,” he says.
To bring about change, he’s encouraging all Americans to register to vote.
Stills, in an emailed statement, said he was “proud and delighted” Porter covered his song.
“For many years, no one tried to ‘ make it theirs’ as covers are supposed to do,” Stills said. “That an artist of Billy’s caliber has chosen to add his flourish to my song from so many years ago is totally in keeping with what I intended.”
Porter, like many Americans, said the COVID- 19 crisis has shaken his daily routine, but he has been quick to adapt, waking up at 5 a. m. each day and working on various projects, including his upcoming memoir and a companion children’s book, until about 10 a. m., before moving on to other things.
“The last couple of years have been so amazing and so crazy, crazy busy that I’ve really had no time for myself, for my relationships,” he said. “This, in a strange way, has been a gift, and I don’t take it lightly that I’m really focusing on self- care, doing a lot of work on myself.”
To those who may not agree with his message in “For What It’s Worth,” Porter says he fully accepts their opinions.
“We’re in a global reset. It’s time for everybody to sit with ourselves as individuals and remind ourselves of what it means to be a human being and to respect that other human beings are equal. That’s the moment this is,“he says.