Jack Hylton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Hylton
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Hylton c. mid-to-late 1920s
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Greenhalgh Hilton |
| Also known as | Jack Elton |
| Born | 2 July 1892 Great Lever, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 29 January 1965 (aged 72) Marylebone, London, England |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1917–1965 |
| Associated acts | Sam Browne, Alec Templeton |
Jack Hylton (born John Greenhalgh Hilton; 2 July 1892 – 29 January 1965) was an English pianist, composer, band leader, and impresario.
Hylton became very famous during the time of British dance bands. People called him the "British King of Jazz" and "The Ambassador of British Dance Music." This was because he was popular worldwide. He also used unusually large bands and created amazing music. After 1940, he mostly stopped playing music. He became a very successful businessman in theater until he passed away.
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Early Life and Start in Music
Jack Hylton was born John Greenhalgh Hilton on July 2, 1892. He grew up in Great Lever near Bolton, Lancashire, England. His father, George Hilton, worked with cotton yarn. He was also a singer at the local Labour Club. Jack learned to play the piano to help his father on stage.
Later, his father bought a pub in Little Lever. Jack would sing for the customers there. People started calling him the "Singing Mill-Boy." He also played piano for different bands when they needed someone to fill in.
Jack moved to London to play piano at the 400 Club. He also played with the Stroud Haxton Band. During the First World War, he became the music leader for an army band. He later worked in the Army's entertainment group.
After the war, Jack worked with Tommy Handley, but it wasn't very successful. He also helped with several short stage shows. Then, he played with the "Queens" Dance Orchestra. He wrote and recorded popular songs for His Master's Voice and Zonophone. These records were called "Directed by Jack Hylton." He got this credit instead of more money. His records brought a new jazz-style dance music from America.
Becoming a Star in the 1920s and 1930s
In 1922, Jack Hylton's own bandmates let him go from the Queen's Hall. But this didn't stop him! He started his own band and many other bands under his company, the Jack Hylton Organisation. Even though he didn't have special business training, he made his bands very successful. This was even during the Great Depression in the 1930s, when times were tough.
His good reputation helped him connect with famous jazz artists. He helped bring stars like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong to Britain and Europe in the 1930s.
Hylton's orchestra often had more than 20 musicians. This made them stand out from other bands. Many bandleaders stayed in one place, like nightclubs. But Hylton often toured all over England. These tours helped shape what most people in Britain thought jazz was. By the mid-1920s, people called him the "British King of Jazz." At first, Hylton didn't agree with this idea. In 1926, he thought jazz was just "a bunch of noises" that became popular after the First World War.
Jack Hylton first appeared on radio station 2LO in 1924. The next year, he made HMV's first electric record.
The late 1920s were Hylton's most famous time. On January 20, 1927, he was in a serious car accident. It happened on his way to the HMV studios. After he recovered, he started his "continental tours" of Europe. These tours lasted until 1930. His orchestra had some of the best musicians of the time. These included saxophonists Billy Ternent and E.O. "Poggy" Pogson, trumpeter Jack Jackson, and singer Sam Browne.
His band often grew even bigger for special "concert arrangements." In 1929, Hylton's band sold between four and five million records. This was a huge number for the time!
When the Depression started in 1930, Hylton made his band smaller. He also toured Europe less often. However, in that same year, Maurice Chevalier recorded with Hylton. Hylton also made the first record of the song "Body and Soul." J. Pat O'Malley became the new singer. In 1930, they recorded Amy, Wonderful Amy, a song about Amy Johnson.
Hylton also became a director and a major owner of the new Decca Records label. He switched from HMV in late 1931. The next year, the French government honored him. He recorded with Paul Robeson and made the first live entertainment broadcast across the Atlantic Ocean with Paul Whiteman. In late 1933, Hylton left Decca because he didn't want to take a pay cut. He didn't make records again until 1935, when he rejoined HMV. In 1934, he toured Europe again. He started using "The Soldiers in the Park" as his main song. In 1935, he appeared in his first movie, She Shall Have Music.
That same year, Hylton finally got to perform in the United States. He had tried for almost ten years, but musicians' unions had stopped him. Standard Oil hired Hylton for a radio show on CBS. They paid him and his main players, and covered all costs for other band members. While in Chicago, Hylton made records for Victor. But union pressure made him return to the UK in 1936. Pat O'Malley and Alec Templeton stayed in America and became famous there.
When he returned to Britain, some people didn't like that he was using the popular swing rhythm. So, he kept playing in his usual style. This included new "concert recordings." After another tour of Europe in 1937, Hylton started appearing on radio more often. He was in Radio Luxembourg's Rinso Radio Revue until 1939. Then he appeared in the BBC's Band Waggon and its 1940 movie. Hylton and his band also appeared on BBC television in the 1930s. On one of these shows, Ernie Wise made his television debut.
Later Career: 1940s and 1950s
The Jack Hylton orchestra broke up in 1940. Many of its members were called to serve in the war. Jack continued to lead orchestras for radio. He even led the Glenn Miller Orchestra when they visited England in 1943. During the war, he took the London Philharmonic Orchestra on tour around Britain. He gave special concerts to help the orchestra stay open when they were having money problems.
At this time, Jack became an impresario. This means he found new stars and managed radio, film, and theater shows. He produced everything from ballets to circuses. His shows were very popular in London theaters. Some of his famous productions included The Merry Widow, Kiss Me, Kate, and Kismet.
In 1950, he brought together many of his former band members. Many of them had become successful on their own. They performed at the Royal Command Performance that year. It was called "The Band that Jack Built." Even though they were very successful, Hylton did not want to go back to leading a band full-time.
In November 1955, he became an advisor for light entertainment at Associated-Rediffusion (A-R). This company won a license for the new ITV television network. He started Jack Hylton Television Productions, Ltd. to make entertainment shows just for A-R. His shows were popular, but sometimes the quality was not very good. Performers even apologized on TV sometimes! This gave ITV a reputation for being a bit rough. Hylton decided not to renew his ITV contract in 1959. The last shows made by his company were broadcast in 1960.
Final Years: 1960s
In his final years, Hylton continued to produce stage shows. He also played a big part in organizing several Royal Command Performances. His last stage show was Camelot in 1965.
In 1965, a TV show called The Stars Shine for Jack honored Hylton. It was held in London on May 30 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Many famous artists performed, including Arthur Askey, the Crazy Gang, Marlene Dietrich, and Shirley Bassey.
Personal Life
Jack Hylton was married twice. His first marriage was in 1913 to bandleader Ennis Parkes. They separated in 1929 but remained friendly until she passed away in 1957.
He married Beverley Prowse in Geneva in 1963. She was an Australian model and beauty queen.
Death
On January 26, 1965, Jack Hylton went to the London Clinic because of chest and stomach pains. He passed away there three days later, on January 29, 1965. He was 72 years old and died from a heart attack.
He is buried in the churchyard of St Catherine at Gosfield, Essex. His wife Beverley is buried next to him.
Legacy
Jack Hylton's records are still played today on special dance band radio stations. He is also often featured on the Manx Radio show Sweet & Swing.
His 1930 recording of Happy Days Are Here Again was used in the documentary series "The Roosevelts" by Ken Burns.
Jack Hylton is played by Ted Robbins in the 2011 TV movie Eric and Ernie.
