Leroy Hutson

Leroy Hutson earned a reputation as one of the most overlooked soul producers of the 1970s. The multi-talented artist—active as producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist—first performed in several vocal ensembles around his native Newark, New Jersey, throughout the 1960s. Early recognition arrived when he co-wrote “The Ghetto,” the 1970 hit single by Donny Hathaway, a roommate from Howard University. In 1971 he stepped into Curtis Mayfield’s former role as lead vocalist for the Impressions, a position he held through 1973 before striking out on his own solo path in the manner of his predecessor. His refined and inventive studio work raised expectations across the entire Curtom roster, including for the label’s founder. Although his themes lacked the political edge that defined Mayfield’s writing, Hutson’s romantic material generated the mid-1970s classics most closely associated with both the artist and the imprint. He achieved measurable commercial traction across a series of albums released from the middle to the end of the decade while also supplying production and songwriting for fellow Curtom acts such as the Natural Four. Following the label’s closure in 1980, his visibility faded except for the 1982 release Paradise, which carried a jazz-funk flavor. Soul collectors nevertheless sustained a devoted following for his catalog well beyond his most active period.