George Yanok | |
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| Born | (1938-11-29)November 29, 1938 Bristol, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | April 29, 2022(2022-04-29) (aged 83) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
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George Richard Yanok (November 29, 1938 – April 29, 2022) was an Americanscreenwriter,television producer,actor, and jazz drummer. He is noted for winningPrimetime Emmy Awards in 1974 and 1976.
Yanok was born inBristol, Connecticut, on November 29, 1938.[1][2] His family moved toPomona, California, when he was around twelve. He attendedPomona Catholic High School,[1] where he was classmates withJohn Stewart.[3] Yanok then studied atSanta Clara University andSan Jose State College before joining theUS Army.[1]
Yanok first worked instand-up comedy at thehungry i inSan Francisco and was an actor in theatre.[1] He also toured with Stewart andThe Kingston Trio,[2] becoming their finalroad manager and the editor ofOnce Upon a Time, the group's last album.[3] Yanok eventually secured writing gigs with the showsThe Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour andThe Jimmie Rodgers Show in 1969,[1] and was one of the inaugural writers ofHee Haw when it debuted that same year.[4] He went on to produceThe Kallikaks, which ran for five episodes as amid-season replacement in August 1977.[5][6] Yanok won twoPrimetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy, Variety or Music and Outstanding Comedy Series in 1974 and 1976, in recognition of his work onLily andLily Tomlin. He also received two nominations, one of which was forOutstanding Comedy Series in 1976 for his work onWelcome Back, Kotter.[7]
Yanok relocated fromLos Angeles toNashville, Tennessee, during the 1990s to serve as writer, producer, and director ofPrime Time Country. During his time there, he was co-writer of theIMAX filmTwang, researcher forJudge Judy, and teacher of television writing atWatkins College of Art andScreenwriters University.[1][4] He was also involved with the Nashville Jazz Workshop as a drummer for its classic jazz ensembles and vocal classes during the organization's nascent years.[1][8] Yanok later published his first novel in 2017, titledRomeo in Shubert Alley.[1][4]
Yanok was married to Suzanne Helms during his years in Los Angeles. He later married Laura Hill, a Nashville newspaper reporter and columnist, and remained married to her for twenty years until his death. He had two stepchildren from his marriage to Hill: John and Katie.[1][4]
Yanok died on April 29, 2022, in Nashville. He was 83 and suffered fromlung cancer in the 18 months leading up to his death.[1][4]
