One music icon died without a penny to his name after embarking on a scandalous affair with a member of the Royal Family. Leslie Hutchinson went by the stage name Hutch, and was hailed as the UK’s first black superstar – as well as being the highest paid star in the country at the height of his fame. Producing hits including These Foolish Things and Begin the Beguine, Hutch became a firm favourite of King Edward VIII.
Hutch originally moved from New York City to England in the late 1920s. Despite his incredible popularity, he was often forced to enter high-profile events via the servants’ entrance due to his skin colour. He also received no formal recognition after becoming one of the first to volunteer to entertain troops during World War II.
Hutch’s life was plenty scandalous. Though he married Ella Byrd in the early 1920s, he went on to father eight children with seven different mothers.
Hutch is said to have slept with Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, along with singer Cole Porter and Hollywood actresses Tallulah Bankhead and Merle Oberon.
Things came to a head when he was accused of having an affair with Edwina Mountbatten – Countess Mountbatten of Burma, the wife of the king’s cousin. The news erupted in a tabloid paper at the time, but the royals soon sued for libel.
Despite the legal proceedings, the high-profile alleged affair effectively ended Hutch’s music career.
He was branded a “hopeless father” by his son Chris, and by the time Hutch died in 1969 he was “virtually penniless”, with less than 50 people turning up to attend his funeral.
He died in New End Hospital, London, from pneumonia. Despite his tarnished legacy, Hutch went on to have a blue plaque unveiled in his honour in 2012, and iconic Downton Abbey character Jack Ross was reportedly based on the singer.
Hutch even had a Channel 4 docudrama released about his exploits in 2008.