Yank Lawson
John Rhea "Yank" Lawson, born on May 3, 1911, in Trenton, Missouri, was an
American jazz trumpeter. He initially played saxophone and piano with local
bands before joining Ben Pollack's orchestra in 1933. In 1935, he became a
founding member of Bob Crosby's Orchestra. Lawson made numerous recordings with
Crosby from 1935 to 1938 and later played with Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman.
He transitioned into studio work for radio and TV stations in the 1940s. In the
1950s, he formed the Lawson-Haggart Band with Bob Haggart, releasing South of
the Mason-Dixon Line in 1953. He collaborat...
