Leroy Hutson

LeRoy Hutson
Born June 4, 1945
Newark, New Jersey
United States
Genres Funk, R&B, Soul, Chicago soul, Smooth soul, Jazz
Occupation(s) Songwriter
Musician
Arranger
Producer
Instruments Vocals, piano, keyboards, clavinet, saxophone
Years active 1970s–1990s
Labels Curtom
Warner Bros.
Elektra
Triumph, Kapp
Associated acts The Impressions, Donny Hathaway, Curtis Mayfield, The Natural Four
Website Official website

LeRoy Hutson (born June 4, 1945 in Newark, New Jersey) is an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and instrumentalist, best known as former lead singer of R&B vocal group The Impressions.

He has been characterized as the best-kept secret of '70s soul, most recently noted in the June 29, 2006 issue of Rolling Stone magazine. He is the father of producer JR Hutson.[1][2][3]

Biography

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. In addition to Hutson, the members of the Nu-Tones were Ronald King, Bernard Ransom, Ed Davis, and Irving Jenkins.

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".

College years

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

At Howard University, Hutson joined The Mayfield Singers, a group put together on Howard's campus by musician 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.

Years with the Impressions

In 1971, three months out of college, Hutson was asked to replace Curtis Mayfield as the 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 Records in North America in June 1971.

On August 27, 2013 Hutson, filed a complaint against Young Jeezy and others alleging that Young Jeezy's song "Time" inappropriately incorporated the instrumental portion of The Impressions "Getting it On," which was registered with the United States Copyright Office in 1973.[4]

Solo career

In 1973 Hutson wrote, produced, arranged and recorded his first solo album, "Love Oh Love", featuring the single "So In Love With You", and through 1992 established himself in a successful recording career, recording eight albums and charting with some thirteen singles in the U.S.[5]

Over a ten-year period from 1973, he developed a cult following on the soul scene, which remains loyal 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 1970s. LeRoy's last 12" the "Share Your Love EP" was released via the UK's Expansion Records

In 2008, Hutson returned to recording under the name Lee Hutson, issuing an album Soothe You Groove You on his own Triumph label and via download. Two years later, in August 2010, Hutson made his highly anticipated comeback to European stages, performing at Suncebeat Festival in Zadar, Croatia, at Vintage at Goodwood Festival and at Indigo2 in London. He was backed by the British group The Third Degree and the shows were praised by fans and media alike for the high musical quality and authenticity. Hutson plans to record a new album in 2011, sticking to his original 1970s sound.

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 ("Giving Love"), 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.

Television

Discography

Albums

Compilations

Chart history – LeRoy Hutson

Billboard Music Charts (North America) - singles

Year Single Chart Chart position
1973 "Love Oh Love" Black Singles 75
"When You Smile" Black Singles 81
1974 "Ella Weez" Black Singles 81
1975 "All Because of You" Black Singles 31
"Can’t Stay Away" Black Singles 66
1976 "Feel the Spirit" Disco Singles 5
Black Singles 25
"Lover’s Holiday" Black Singles 68
1977 "Blackberry Jam" Black Singles 82
"I Do, I Do (Want to Make Love to You)" Black Singles 55
1978 "In the Mood" Black Singles 56
"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
Pop Albums 170
1977 Hutson II Black Albums 26
1979 Unforgettable Black Albums 69

Chart history – The Natural Four

References

  1. ↑ "Interview With JR Hutson". HitQuarters. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  2. ↑ Theakston, Rob. Biography at AllMusic. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  3. ↑ Degiorgio, Kirk. "LeRoy Hutson Special". Red Bull Academy Music Radio. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  4. ↑ Heard, Preston H.; Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC (6 September 2013). "Singer-Songwriter Lee Hutson Sues Rapper Young Jeezy Over Alleged Use of "Getting It On" Sample". The National Law Review. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  5. ↑ Chart history at AllMusic. Retrieved 27 January 2013.

External links