George Richard Yanok was an American screenwriter, television producer, actor, and jazz drummer.
18 Facts About George Yanok
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George Yanok is noted for winning Primetime Emmy Awards in 1974 and 1976.
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George Yanok's family moved to Pomona, California, when he was around twelve.
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George Yanok attended Pomona Catholic High School, where he was classmates with John Stewart.
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George Yanok then studied at Santa Clara University and San Jose State College before joining the US Army.
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George Yanok first worked in stand-up comedy at the hungry i in San Francisco and was an actor in theatre.
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George Yanok toured with Stewart and The Kingston Trio, becoming their final road manager and the editor of Once Upon a Time, the group's last album.
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George Yanok eventually secured writing gigs with the shows The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour and The Jimmie Rodgers Show in 1969, and was one of the inaugural writers of Hee Haw when it debuted that same year.
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George Yanok went on to produce The Kallikaks, which ran for five episodes as a mid-season replacement in August 1977.
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George Yanok won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy, Variety or Music and Outstanding Comedy Series in 1974 and 1976, in recognition of his work on Lily and Lily Tomlin.
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George Yanok received two nominations, one of which was for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1976 for his work on Welcome Back, Kotter.
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George Yanok relocated from Los Angeles to Nashville, Tennessee, during the 1990s to serve as writer, producer, and director of Prime Time Country.
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George Yanok was involved with the Nashville Jazz Workshop as a drummer for its classic jazz ensembles and vocal classes during the organization's nascent years.
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George Yanok later published his first novel in 2017, titled Romeo in Shubert Alley.
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George Yanok was married to Suzanne Helms during his years in Los Angeles.
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George Yanok later married Laura Hill, a Nashville newspaper reporter and columnist, and remained married to her for twenty years until his death.
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George Yanok had two stepchildren from his marriage to Hill: John and Katie.
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George Yanok was 83 and suffered from lung cancer in the 18 months leading up to his death.