b. Roy Landman, 27 March 1914, Memphis, Tennessee, USA, d. 2 July 1990, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Lanson was a singer on the popular US television musical variety programme Your Hit Parade during the 50s. His career began in 1934 as a singer on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee. Lanson then sang with the Ray Noble Orchestra and, during World War II, in Ted Weems’ big band, which also included pianist Owen Bradley, later one of Nashville’s most successful record producers. Your Hit Parade, a syndicated television programme, featured its own cast of singers interpreting the current Top 12 songs of each week; Lanson appeared as a regular on the show from its inception in 1950 until 1957. He reached the US pop charts twice in 1955 with ‘Why Don’t You Write Me’ and ‘It’s Almost Tomorrow’. In the summer of 1956, he hosted his own 15-minute television variety show in the summer of 1956 and in the 70s he hosted his own syndicated big band show. Lanson died in 1990 of lung cancer.