Jack Hylton
| Jack Hylton | |
|---|---|
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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 |
| Occupation(s) | Band leader, impresario |
| Years active | 1917–1965 |
Jack Hylton (2 July 1892 – 29 January 1965) was an English band leader and impresario who rose to prominence during the British dance band era.
He was born John Greenhalgh Hylton in Great Lever near Bolton, Lancashire, the son of George Hilton, a cotton yarn twister. His father was an amateur singer at the local Labour Club and Hylton learned piano to accompany him on the stage. Hylton later sang to the customers when his father bought a pub in nearby Little Lever, becoming known as the "Singing Mill-Boy". He also performed as a relief pianist for various bands.
His early career involved moving to London as a pianist in the 400 Club and playing with the Stroud Haxton Band. During the First World War, he moved to be a musical director of the band of the 20th Hussars and the Director of the Army Entertainment Division.
After the First World War Hylton played with the Queen's Dance Orchestra, wrote arrangements of popular songs and recorded them under the label 'Directed by Jack Hylton'. He then formed his own band, recording the new style of jazz-derived American dance music under the Jack Hylton name from 1923. Hylton became a respected band leader with a busy schedule. Even though he was not professionally trained for business, he brought his band to success at a time when the Great Depression hit hard. With his entrepreneurial skills, he managed to sell almost four million records in 1929 according to the Daily Herald of 7 June 1930. His good reputation allowed him to make contacts with famous jazz artists of time, hence the reason he was credited for bringing Duke Ellington to Britain in 1933. This overall success allowed Jack Hylton's band not only to entertain people in Britain, but also abroad. The band frequently had what were called 'continental tours' which made it famous in various places in Europe, especially in France. He became a director and major shareholder of the new Decca record label. His band developed into an orchestra and toured America and Europe into the 1940s, when it disbanded due to the Second World War. Hylton adopted "The Soldiers in the Park" (more commonly known as "Oh Listen to the Band") as his signature tune.
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