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Snooky Lanson, 76; Sang on a TV Show And in Nightclubs

Published: July 4, 1990

Snooky Lanson, a singing star of the popular 1950's television show ''Your Hit Parade,'' died on Monday at St. Thomas Hospital here. He was 76 years old.

Mr. Lanson sang on the show from 1950 to 1957, replacing Frank Sinatra. The show was the television version of the long-running radio program ''Lucky Strike Hit Parade,'' and featured the top tunes of the week performed by the show's cast in a variety of costumes and settings. Other members of the cast at various times included the singers Dorothy Collins, Gisele MacKenzie and Russell Arms.

'It Was Very Clean'

After leaving the show in 1957, Mr. Lanson sang in nightclubs and was the host of television variety shows in Atlanta and in Shreveport, La. ''Your Hit Parade'' continued until 1959 and was revived briefly in 1974.

''The show didn't have any stars per se and we all got along well,'' Mr. Lanson recalled in a 1979 interview. ''It was very clean and there was no suggestive dancing. A 5- or 6-year-old could watch it. And of course a lot of people watched it to see what song was No. 1 that week.''

''I sang 'Mona Lisa' 13 straight weeks because it was a man's song and I was the only man on the show then,'' he said.

His Life in Nashville

Mr. Lanson had lived in Nashville since 1967 and sang at dances and similar functions. He also had a syndicated radio show that played big band music.

In 1941, he recorded the hit ''By the Light of the Silvery Moon'' with the Ray Noble Band. A later hit, ''The Old Master Painter,'' helped him land the ''Hit Parade'' job.

Mr. Lanson, whose name was originally Roy Landman, was born in Memphis and began singing in a church choir there as a boy. He was nicknamed Snooky at the age of 2 for the Irving Berlin tune ''Snooky-Ookums.''

He is survived by his wife, Florence; a daughter; two sons, and eight grandchildren.

Photo: Snooky Lanson (Associated Press, 1960)