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 in Great Lever near Bolton, Lancashire, the son of George Hilton, a cotton yarn twister. His early career involved moving to London as a pianist in the 400 Club and playing with the Stroud Haxton Band. 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. With his entrepreneurial skills, he managed to sell almost four million records in 1929 according to the Daily Herald of 7 June 1930. 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.
Jack Hylton
