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Born in Great Lever, this artist was one of Great Britain's greatest big band leaders and theater producers. Jack Hylton's father and mother were employed in a cotton mill and as a school teacher respectively; near the close of the 19th century Hylton began taking piano lessons. A few years later his father moved from the mill to running his own pub, providing a series of gigs in which young Hylton either accompanied his father's or his own vocalizing. As the first decade of the new century unfolded, Hylton achieved status as a true professional, performing in a series of theatrical revues including a touring pantomime company. Biographical data reveals he earned 45 shillings a week in this period, a statistic of keen interest to those compiling historical data on the financial depths possible in the entertainment industry. When the first World War broke out, he left a job as pianist at the 400 Club on Old Bond Street to become a musical director of the 20th Hussars brigade. A colla...