Jack Hylton (born John Greenhalgh Hilton;[1] 2 July 1892 – 29 January 1965) was an English pianist, composer, band leader and impresario.

Hylton later sang to the customers when his father bought a pub (The Round Croft) in nearby Little Lever, becoming known as the "Singing Mill-Boy".

[3] After the First World War, Hylton formed a double act with Tommy Handley to little success, also collaborating in a number of short-lived stage shows.

His good reputation allowed him to make contacts with famous jazz artists of the time, and he was credited for bringing Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and others to Britain and Europe in the 1930s.

Unlike many other bandleaders who took up residences at nightclubs and ballrooms, Hylton often embarked on lengthy tours of England, which ultimately moulded the concept most Britons had of jazz.

After recovering from a near-fatal car accident – which took place on 20 January 1927, on way to the Gramophone Company studios in Hayes, Middlesex[6] – he made the first in a string of "continental tours" that lasted until 1930.

"Poggy" Pogson and Noel "Chappie" d'Amato, trumpeter/cornetist Jack Jackson, trombonist Lew Davis, violinists Hugo Rignold and Harry Berly, pianist/arranger Peter Yorke, and (from 1928) singer Sam Browne.

[2] In late 1933, Hylton left Decca after refusing to take a pay cut, not making records until 1935 when he rejoined His Master's Voice.

[2] That same year, Hylton finally was able to perform in the United States;[10] he had repeatedly attempted this for almost a decade, but had been opposed by the musicians' unions (a 1929 tour was cancelled at the last minute).

Upon returning to Britain, he was criticised for adopting the then-popular swing rhythm, so he kept playing in his well-established style, including a series of new "concert recordings".

[2] In 1950 he reunited with a number of his former employees, many of whom had become successful in their own right, for that year's Royal Command Performance, billed as "The Band that Jack Built".

In November 1955, he was contracted as Advisor of Light Entertainment to Associated-Rediffusion (A-R), winner of the London weekday franchise in the recently established ITV network.

He founded Jack Hylton Television Productions, Ltd. in that same month to produce a range of light entertainment programming exclusively for A-R.

[2] In 1965 a televised tribute to Hylton, The Stars Shine for Jack, was held in London on Sunday 30 May at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane with many artists including Arthur Askey, the Crazy Gang, Marlene Dietrich, Dickie Henderson and Shirley Bassey.

Hylton was married twice; firstly in 1913 in St Asaph, Flintshire, Wales, to bandleader Ennis Parkes (born Florence Parkinson), whom he had met during his pierrot work.