Leroy Hutson

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Leroy Hutson

Background information
Born June 4, 1945 (1945-06-04) (age 63)
Origin Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Genre(s) Funk, R&B, Soul, Chicago soul, Smooth soul, Jazz
Occupation(s) Songwriter, Singer, Arranger, Producer, Instrumentalist
Instrument(s) Vocals, piano, keyboards, clavinet, saxophone
Years active '70s, '80s, '90s
Label(s) Curtom
Warner Bros.
Elektra
Triumph
Associated acts The Impressions
Website http://www.leehutson.com/

Leroy Hutson is an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and instrumentalist, best known as former lead singer of the legendary R&B vocal group, The Impressions.

He has been characterized as the best-kept secret of Seventies Soul, most recently noted in the June 29, 2006 issue of Rolling Stone magazine.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early years

As a teenager, Lee was a member of "The Nu-Tones," a four man vocal group based in New Jersey. They were the premier local group and won several major talent shows during Lee's grammar school years. The members of the Nu-Tones were: Ronald King, Bernard Ransom, Ed Davis, Irving Jenkins and LeRoy Hutson.

In 1968, as part of the duo Sugar & Spice Lee Hutson and Deborah Rollins recorded for Kapp Records. They recorded several singles with some success. Their single “In Love Forever” ranked the “Best New Record Of The Week” in the local newspaper column “Soul Sauce.” Two other singles recorded were “Ah Ha Yeah” and “Dreams.”

[edit] College Years

Initially attending renowned Howard University in Washington DC to study dentistry, Hutson switched his major to music, marking the beginning of Leroy’s musical career.

It was during those years on campus Hutson met many great people – Roberta Flack, Herbie Hancock, Debbie Allen, Phylicia Rashad, and Donny Hathaway.

At Howard University, Hutson shared a room with Donny Hathaway for nearly three years. He also joined The Mayfield Singers, a group (including Hathaway) put together on Howard's campus by music legend Curtis Mayfield that performed at New York's famed Apollo Theater and Philadelphia's Uptown Theater. The group released one single for Mayfield in 1967.

There, developing his creative talents, Hutson collaborated with Hathaway on “The Ghetto”, giving the late recording star his first hit record in early 1970.

[edit] Years with the Impressions

In 1971, three months out of college, Hutson was asked to replace Curtis Mayfield as lead singer of The Impressions. He stayed with them for two and a half years, and recorded two albums with the group, before amicably leaving to pursue his own career as a writer, producer, arranger, and musician.

The first Impressions single to feature Hutson as lead vocalist was entitled "Love Me", released on Curtom in America in June 1971.

[edit] Solo career

In 1973 Hutson wrote, produced, arranged and recorded his first solo album, “Love Oh Love,” and through 1992 established himself with a successful recording career, recording eight albums and charting with some 13 singles in the U.S.A.

Over a ten year period from 1973, he developed a cult following on the soul scene, which remains loyal and untarnished to this day through solo albums for the Curtom label "Love Oh Love", "The Man", "Hutson", "Feel The Spirit", "Hutson II", "Closer To The Source" and "Unforgettable." The "Hutson" album is regarded by some soul collectors as one of the best, most enduring albums of the 70s musically.

[edit] Work with other Artists

Consistently touring through the late 1970s and 1980s, Hutson also devoted time to lending his well-crafted musicality to production work with fellow Curtom artists Linda Clifford, Arnold Blair, and The Natural Four.

As a writer/producer, he has worked for Roberta Flack ("Tryin' Times"/"Gone Away"), The Natural Four ("You Bring Out The Best In Me"/"Can This Be Real"), Linda Clifford, Voices of East Harlem ("Cashing In"), Arnold Blair ("Trying To get Next To You"), and Next Movement ("Let's Work It Out"), while more recently one of his own cult singles "Lucky Fellow" was covered by Snowboy on Acid Jazz records.

[edit] Television

[edit] Soul Train

Soul Train (Episode 32 aired 18 May 1974) – The Spinners / The Independents / Leroy Hutson

Soul Train (Episode 37 aired 7 June 1975) – Curtis Mayfield / Leroy Hutson / Natural Four

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Compilations

  • There's More Where This Came From (1992)
  • The Very Best of Leroy Hutson (02/25/1997)
  • The Best of Leroy Hutson (UK) (1997)
  • More Where That Came From: The Best of Leroy Hutson, Vol. 2 (03/10/1998)
  • Lucky Fellow: The Curtom Anthology 1972-79 (11/14/2000)
  • The Best of Leroy Hutson, Volume 1 (2006)

[edit] Chart positions - Leroy Hutson

Billboard Music Charts (North America) - singles

Year Single Chart Chart position
1973 "Love Oh Love" Black Singles #75
1973 "When You Smile" Black Singles #81
1974 "Ella Weez" Black Singles #81
1975 "All Because Of You" Black Singles #31
1975 "Can’t Stay Away" Black Singles #66
1976 "Feel The Spirit" Disco Singles #5
1976 "Feel The Spirit" Black Singles #25
1976 "Lover’s Holiday" Black Singles #68
1977 "Blackberry Jam" Black Singles #82
1977 "I Do, I Do (Want To Make Love To You)" Black Singles #55
1978 "In The Mood" Black Singles #56
1978 "Where Did Love Go" Black Singles #45
1979 "Right Or Wrong" Black Singles #47

Billboard Music Charts (North America) - album

Year Album Chart Chart position
1974 The Man! Black Albums #36
1975 Hutson Black Albums #46
1976 Feel The Spirit Black Albums #21
1976 Feel The Spirit Pop Albums #170
1977 Hutson II Black Albums #26
1979 Unforgettable Black Albums #69

[edit] Chart and singles history – The Natural Four

  • Can This Be Real (the flip, Try Love Again) (#10 R&B, #31 Pop,late 1973,"
  • Love That Really Counts (#23 R&B,#98 Pop Spring 1974)
  • You Bring Out The Best In Me (#20 R&B, Summer 1974)

[edit] External links