Albert Arthur Powell MBE (30 January 1900 – 26 June 1982), known professionally as Sandy Powell, was a highly popular British comedian whose career spanned well over 60 years. In his time, he sold almost 8 million records, had a 75,000-strong children’s fan club, produced his own shows, had a 20-year residency at an Eastbourne pier theatre and was an extremely adept businessman. But what we remember best today about Sandy is the many laughs he brought us.
For those who know him, here are some opportunities to rekindle your memories. And for those to whom he is unknown, well, you have a real treat in store.
Where to start? Personally, I think you’ll enjoy his legendary ventriloquist sketch which you can find here, filmed in 1979, assisted by his wife, Kay White.
Here is Sandy reminiscing about his long career and performing life on the valuable series THE OLD BOY NETWORK in 1979
And finally, here’s a (sadly incomplete) documentary about Sandy in 1980.
On 3 May 2022, Cameron Mackintosh invited many of Stephen Sondheim’s old friends to join him in London’s West End at the recently renamed Sondheim Theatre, for a show to celebrate the late Stephen Sondheim’s extraordinary talents as a composer and lyricist, after Sondheim’s passing aged 91 in November 2021.
Featuring an all-star cast including Michael Ball, Helena Bonham Carter, Rob Brydon, Petula Clark, Anna-Jane Casey, Rosalie Craig, Janie Dee, Judi Dench, Daniel Evans, Maria Friedman, Haydn Gwynne, Bonnie Langford, Damian Lewis and Julia McKenzie, amongst others.
Now available on BBCiPlayer, and running just over 2 hours, you can now enjoy this fine tribute to one of the twentieth century’s most important musical theatre talents.
Jack Hylton. Photo from jackhylton.com website with thanks
When Jack Hylton died on January 29th, 1965, the lights across the West End went dark for five whole days. This, if nothing else, will give you an idea of the enormous impact of this man who in his time had been musician, bandleader, impresario, television pioneer, agent- and so much more.
July 2nd marks the 130th anniversary of Hylton’s birth.
Born in Great Lever, near Bolton, Lancashire on 2nd July 1892, Hylton learned the piano at a young age, to support other performers and to accompany himself whist singing in workers clubs. Working in a musical capacity the with Army during World War One, later he found himself in London where he could pick up work. An accomplished arranger, his style captured the vivacity in sound of the new jazzy imports from America, and his work became highly popular with record-buying audiences.
Ever-ambitious, in 1922, Hylton set up not only his own band, but a number of others too, under the banner of the Jack Hylton Organisation. What distinguished Hylton’s band was that it was larger than audiences had come to expect, with 20 or more players. Combine this with his crisp and toe-tapping arrangements and his dedication to the jazz sound which he evangelically toured across the UK, Hylton was highly-respected and acclaimed as the UK’s King of Jazz , although his music’s popularity extended far beyond the British Isles, into Europe and also the US (where his appearances were curtailed by the Americans Musicians Union).
Hylton’s vivacious arrangements and big band sound were the UK’s closest rivals to the American bands, but the driving quality of his “hot” arrangements and his tender arrangements of the slower, moodier numbers showed an enviable range and versatility of expression that audiences ate up. His success flourished greatly through the 1930s, to the extent that in 1935 he even created a band for his wife to take out on tour – Mrs Jack Hylton and Her Band – who toured the UK extensively and cut over 30 records in 1935 and 1936, capitalising on hubby’s name-draw.
1935 saw Jack’s band headline in a revue, Life Begins at Oxford Circus, at the London Palladium, presented by Jack Hylton himself, and also make their first film, She Shall Have Music, at Twickenham Studios.
With an enviable confidence, ingenuity and unstoppably positive attitude, Hylton was a man who made things happen- a man who truly believed in himself. It’s interesting to note that on a 1942 appearance on the BBC Radio programme Desert Island Discs, four of the eight records he chose to take with him to his desert island were his own recordings!
World War Two saw some of his finest players called up for war service, and the band was officially disbanded. With these huge changes, Hylton refocused his energies on developing his role as an impresario, discovering new talent, and overseeing theatre, film and radio productions, as well as becoming a leading agent for established and new stars. He presented stage shows, revues, plays, orchestral concerts, ballets, circuses and every imaginable form of entertainment, bringing to them all his unwavering eye for showmanship and a sense of what the public wanted. His stature in the business was such that his many successful shows came to be known as the biggest hits on London stages, and on subsequent UK tours, for years to come.
Always with an eye to the future, Hylton was aware of the potential of television and at the outset of commercial TV in the UK in 1955, he was engaged as consultant for Light Entertainment to Associated-Rediffusion (A-R), the company which had won the London region weekday franchise. His newly-formed television production company produced a wide range of light entertainment fare exclusively for A-R to fill out their schedule, mostly using stars who were represented by Hylton. The sheer volume of work put together quickly meant that quality was highly variable, and tended towards the lower end of the quality scale, with performers apologising on-screen for issues and gaffes. Material was stretched perilously thin- a stage play was chopped into five half-hour segments and broadcast weekly; some Hylton artistes began appearing with rather more frequency than viewers were expecting or hoping for (according to letters received, stored in the archives). This included the over-exposure of his then-lover, opera singer Rosalina Neri (at the time dubbed “the Italian Marilyn Monroe”), who would pop up and burst into song with alarming frequency on many Hylton productions. The Hylton television output was often derided by critics, but a number of his shows were big ratings winners for A-R, proving that Hylton still knew what the public wanted. The Hylton Organisation’s huge undertaking to provide large amounts of tv product was hugely draining, and he refused to renew his contract in 1959 when invited. The general consensus was that his television work was largely unsuccessful.
Continuing to produce theatre shows right up until his death, his last stage production was CAMELOT in 1965. When Hylton passed away at the end of that January, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, a televised tribute to Hylton, “The Stars Shine for Jack”, which was staged on Sunday 30 May, featuring a long list of artists who Hylton had represented, presented and nurtured, including Arthur Askey, the Crazy Gang, Marlene Dietrich, Dickie Henderson and Shirley Bassey. The proceeds from the show benefitted the Jack Hylton Memorial Fund, which gave £35,000 to Lancaster University to build the Jack Hylton Music Rooms in his honour, which are still used to this day.
As someone who lived life to its fullest, Hylton was not constrained by as many societal rules as others – he had a reputation for having a good time, lavish spending and enjoyed the company of women. He was also a deeply loyal friend – many stories abound about his generosity to those fading from the spotlight – when showfolk faced hardship, Hylton could be relied upon for a helping hand. He was truly one of the old school of theatre makers who never forgot a friendship, unlike many of those who succeeded him.
Any one of his talents would be worth celebrating on their own, but for this unique man who left such a big impression on every area of showbusiness, it feels right to say Thank You- and Happy Birthday- Jack Hylton!
Below is a rare television biography of Hylton from 1967 which I’m sure you’ll enjoy. Thanks to YouTube poster Pete Faint for posting (Pete is also the man behind the Jack Hylton website mentioned below)
Those who want to know more about the amazing career of Jack Hylton would enjoy a trip to the Jack Hylton website, where you’ll find much more information. Find it here
Today is the third Music Hall and Variety Day, where the British Music Hall Society invites people around the UK and beyond to celebrate by posting on social media photographs, postcards, bill posters, programmes, costumes, stories, memories about music hall, the buildings, performers, songs and shows that you may recall or have a link with. And don’t forget the hashtags so others can find your contributions!
For my contribution, below you can enjoy Michael Grade’s excellent History of Music Hall from 2011
One of several big-selling compilations of the works of Douglas Byng
Monday May 16th marks the third annual Music Hall and Variety Day, when celebrations of the UK’s wonderful Music Hall and variety heydays proliferate across social media, online, and in-person events too.
This year the British Music Hall Society (instigators of the annual celebration) are reprising last year’s celebration of legendary cabaret star Douglas Byng, which was an in-person event. Now, to make the event more widely available, it is being presented once again, this time as an online Zoom broadcast.
When “Doris, the Goddess of Wind” was featured by Alan Bennett in his hit play THE HABIT OF ART, it reminded audiences of one the long- lost saucy cabaret performers of an earlier time. The writer and original performer of this piece was the popular cabaret, musical and revue star Douglas Byng, usually appearing in drag as one of his gallery of characters encapsulated in song. Naughty, bawdy, saucy, camp, risqué, outrageous – Byng was all of these, and more. Which is why he retained his affectionate relationship and popularity with audiences over a career spanning six decades.
On Monday, 16th May, The British Music Hall Society hosts an online evening telling Byng’s life story, presented by Richard Norman and Keith Fawkes, which is amply illustrated with recordings of the master at work, both on film and on disc. Byng’s debonair drag appearances in revue were described by Noel Coward as “the most refined vulgarity in London”. His records of his own saucy songs sold millions, and he was Britain’s biggest cabaret star for many years in the 20s and 30s.
His full name was Douglas Coy Byng, but “Coy” was the one thing Byng was definitely not. An openly gay performer at a time when this was very much not the norm, Byng’s long career was helped by his versatility in adapting to fluctuating trends after the cabaret scene changed during and after world war two; he found a home in pantomime for thirty years, while he could still be found performing his speciality routines in his eighties.
Now unjustly forgotten, Douglas Byng deserves this celebration and also a renewed recognition as one of the pioneers of LGBT visibility, as well as being a much-loved and very entertaining “turn” for well over 60 years.
DOUGLAS BYNG is an online event, presented by the British Music Hall Society.
