Layton And Johnstone – Turner Layton & Clarence Johnstone

Layton & Johnstone were an American vocal and piano duo in the 1920s and 1930s. They operated between 1922 (making their first record “Hard Hearted Hannah” in December 1924) (mostly out of the UK between 1923 and 35) and November 1935. They sold over 10 million records between this time, and were the favourites of British aristocracy, such as Lady Mountbatten and the Prince Of Wales. However in 1934 Clarence Johnstone was involved in a divorce scandal with the wife of Palm Court Orchestra Violinist Albert Sandler, the partnership was severely shaken, and they gave their last performance in November 1935 at the Palace Theatre in Plymouth. After which Johnstone returned to America, dying in obscurity in 1953. Turner Layton continued to record steadily until 1948, as well as guest on radio programmes and compose songs. In 1961 he was given his final BBC radio series: “My Piano And I”. Layton retired to his home in West Hampstead, until his death in a North London Nursing Home on the 6th of February 1978, at the age of 83.