John McHugh was known for his singing of ballads and romantic tunes and lyrics.
Encouraged to sing by Wolverhampton teacher May Summerfield and a priest named Grimaldi at Wolverhampton's Roman
Catholic Church of Saint Mary and Saint John, McHugh began performing in church choirs and other venues around Wolverhampton.
His big break came on November 21st, 1936, when he sang in London's Gaumont Theatre for a regional competition of the BBC
Amateur Hour. He won the competition at both the regional and the national levels.
Lady Dorothy Peploe became McHugh's benefactor, but she withdrew her support when McHugh married. Although widely traveled,
McHugh lived his entire life in Wolverhampton except for a brief
residence in Chalkwell before moving back into Wolverhampton, where he is buried. Muriel Emms wrote a biography of McHugh,
but she was unable to come to terms with a publisher.
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