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 collaborated with Louis Armstrong on his album Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography in 1957 and co-founded The World’s Greatest Jazz Band in 1969. Lawson continued performing until his death on February 18, 1995.
