Leslie "Hutch" Hutchinson.................

Leslie Arthur Julien Hutchinson, known as "Hutch" (born Gouyave, Grenada, 7 March, 1900 – died London, England, 18 August, 1969) was one of the biggest cabaret stars in the world during the 1920s and 1930s.

Born in Grenada in 1900 to George Hutchinson and Marianne (née Turnbull), he took piano lessons as a child.  He moved to New York City in his teens, originally to take a degree in medicine as he won a place due to his high aptitude, and began playing the piano and singing in bars. He then joined a black band led by Henry "Broadway" Jones, who often played for white millionaires such as the Vanderbilts, attracting the wrath of the Ku Klux Klan. In 1924 he left America for Paris, where he had a residency in Joe Zelli's club and became a friend and lover of Cole Porter.  He was for some time the highest paid star in Britain and was one of the biggest stars during the twenties and thirties in the UK.

"Hutch" was rumoured to have been a bisexual and was alleged to have had relationships with Ivor Novello, Merle Oberon, and actress Tallulah Bankhead. The rumours include affairs with Edwina Mountbatten and members of the British Royal Family which supposedly led to his social ostracism and the destruction of his professional career.

Encouraged by his lover Edwina Mountbatten, he came to England in 1927 to perform in a Rodgers and Hart musical, and soon became the darling of society and the population in general. "Hutch" was a favourite singer of the then Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII). He was regularly heard on air with the BBC. One of his greatest hits was "These Foolish Things". He was a much-loved wartime entertainer.

As well as being a friend and lover of Cole Porter, he recorded several of his songs, including "Begin the Beguine" and Porter's list song "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)", to which he supposedly made up some 70 new verses.

He married Ella Byrd, a woman of African, English, and Chinese ancestry, in 1923 or 1924 in New York City  Their daughter, Lesley Bagley Yvonne, was born on 9 April 1926. Hutch would go on to sire six further children to five different mothers. Gordon was born in August 1928, Gabrielle in September 1930, Gerald and Chris in 1948, and Graham (Chris' full brother) in 1953, and Emma in April 1964.

Leslie Hutchinson suffered from ill-health in his later years and died from pneumonia on 19 August, 1969. Only 42 people attended his funeral.

A dreadfully racist article, IMHO..... Unpleasant enough that I won't reprint it here....from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1085883/The-royal-gigolo-Edwina-Mountbatten-sued-claims-affair-black-singer-Paul-Robeson-But-truth-outrageous-.html



Ekkkk.........tedious scandal crap. I love his voice. I'm not even going to go into my feelings on the prevailing racial attitudes of the time...blah, blah, blah.....I just know that it has kept an amazing talent from reaching a wider audience, based on that talent alone.  I don't have a lot of him.........here it is.

With a song in my heart 1930
How deep is the ocean
This is worth fighting for
Trees
Begin the beguine 1939
He loves and she loves 1928
A foggy day 1938
All I do is dream of you
Close your eyes 1933
Deep purple 1939
Don't blame me 1933
Dream shadows 1933
Dusty shoes 1933
East of the sun west of the moon 1935
For all we know 1934
Let's do it (let's fall in love) 1935
Have you forgotten so soon 1937
Night and day 1933
You are 1939
You go to my head
The way you look tonight 1936
When you wish upon a star/the old music box medley
What is this thing called love

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