Black and white photo of a young Leslie Hutchinson, a black man with cropped hair wearing a sweater, puffy pants, and boots. He smiles widely.
“He bought a Rolls-Royce, a grand house in Hampstead, patronised London's best tailors, spoke five or six languages and was on friendly terms with the Prince of Wales. But he was still a black man in an era of racial discrimination. When he entertained at lavish Mayfair parties, his fee was large, but he was often obliged to go in by the servants' entrance. This embittered him.”
– Thorton Micheal
Born in Grenada on March 7, 1900, Leslie Hutchinson grew up on the island until he was sixteen, when he was sent to New York City in the United States to go to college and become a doctor. Soon after he arrived, he changed course and dove headfirst into the culture and community of Harlem. Having taken piano lessons as a child, he was quick to find himself in the musical community that was thriving at the time. In his time in New York City he met and married Ella Byrd.
Though he started out playing in bars, Hutchinson was noticed for his piano and vocal talent and joined an all-black band led by Henry Jones. It was through this that Hutchinson began to interact with higher-class white people of the time, something that the Ku Klux Klan was trying to smother.
Seeing the violence displayed by the Ku Klux Klan, Hutchinson moved to Paris, which was believed to be a haven for black performers at the time. It was there that he met Cole Porter and began a relationship. While still in Paris, he had a daughter, Lesley Bagley Yvonne.
In 1927 he was convinced by Edwina Mountbatten to move to England to perform in a musical. It was in England that his popularity more or less exploded. A favourite musician of a few royal family members, he was invited to play at many high-class events. Though he was also very much enjoyed on a personal level by many people in society and admired for his skill, he was still forced to come in through the servant's entrance, something that hurt him.
While in England, Hutchinson fathered seven more children with six different mothers: Gordon (1928), Gabrielle (1930), Jennifer (October 1939), Gerald and Chris (1948), Graham (1953), and Emma (April 1965).
One of the women Hutchinson had a child with was British debutante Elizabeth Corbett, who, upon her family discovering the pregnancy, was married off quickly to an army officer. The truth of the child's parentage was discovered when they were born, and the child was given up for adoption.
Hutch also had a long-term relationship with Edwina Mountbatten, another married woman. In fact, she was a white woman who had married into the royal family. Both she and her husband were also bisexual, and both had, after many conflicts over affairs, agreed to open their relationship. It was because of this that Edwina felt so comfortable being public with her relationship with Hutchinson: buying him expensive things and exchanging romantic gestures with him publicly.
For a while, many people accepted their relationship without much fuss, but when the news of it eventually made it to the tabloids, things changed drastically. In a mistake that benefitted Edwina greatly, the tabloid had named another black man as her lover, specifically a man whom she had never met. So she was able to take them to court and sue for libel.
Unfortunately, most within the royal family knew the truth and cut contact completely with Hutchinson. He was no longer invited to play at events and was pulled from BBC broadcasts. He went from being one of the most famous and well-paid musicians in the country to being completely shunned.
All his wealthy patrons abandoned him, including Edwina. He lost money quickly and died destitute of pneumonia in 1969.
Throughout his life, Hutchinson was forced to endure the constantly changing standards because of his race.
Thorton Micheal wrote of his life:
“He bought a Rolls-Royce, a grand house in Hampstead, patronised London's best tailors, spoke five or six languages and was on friendly terms with the Prince of Wales. But he was still a black man in an era of racial discrimination. When he entertained at lavish Mayfair parties, his fee was large, but he was often obliged to go in by the servants' entrance. This embittered him.”
Though the Mountbatten’s paid for his funeral arrangements, she more or less abandoned him after their affair was forced to end. Though early on, she showered him with gifts and helped him make connections, she cut ties when he needed her the most. His entire career was taken from him, and all his accomplishments were ignored because he had slept with a white woman, a woman who went on to live a full and happy life, experiencing little blowback from the situation.
As mentioned before, Edwina was in much the same position as he was. She was a bisexual person who slept with people outside of her marriage, even if later her husband agreed to the relationship, that was not public knowledge. Only one person in their relationship was forced to face true consequences.
[Disclaimer: some of the sources may contain triggering material]
Chadbourne, E. (2006, May 1). Leslie Hutchinson. Retrieved from https://www.allmusic.com/artist/leslie-hutchinson-mn0000250830
Cobbinah, A. (2018, October 25). Leslie ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson: scandal in the wind. Camden New Journal. Retrieved from http://camdennewjournal.com/article/leslie-hutch-hutchinson-scandal-in-the-wind
Hutchinson, L. A. Sophisticated Lady [Recorded by L. A. Hutchinson. [Shellac Record]. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/78_sophisticated-lady_hutch-leslie-a.-hutchinson-howard-barnes-mills-parish-elling_gbia0002815a
Hutchinson, Leslie (1900-1969) AKA Hutch. (2018, September 6). https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/leslie-hutchinson/
Leslie Arthur Julien “Hutch” Hutchinson, From Harlem To Hampstead, 1900 – 1969. (2017, September 28). Harlem World Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.harlemworldmagazine.com/leslie-arthur-julien-hutch-hutchinson-harlem-hampstead-1900-1969/
Leslie Hutchinson. (2016, April 3). Retrieved from https://www.discogs.com/artist/1915931-Leslie-Hutchinson-2
Wilson, C. (2013, October 14). The scandalous truth about Downton Abbey’s royal gigolo 'Jack Ross.' The Telegraph. Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/downton-abbey/10377794/The-scandalous-truth-about-Downton-Abbeys-royal-gigolo-Jack-Ross.html