Gregg Lawrence

Gregg Lawrence was a singer who made many records (RCA/Columbia) with the Frankie Carle Orchestra and the Tex Beneke Orchestra. He grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin and moved to Minneapolis to sing with the Sev Olsen Orchestra under his birth-name, Frankie Gelsone. He later led the Frankie Gelsone Orchestra in Minneapolis after Sev Olsen enlisted in the US Army in 1942. He enlisted himself in 1942 to attend the USAAF Aviation Cadet program, where he met and married First Lieutenant Eileen T. Calnan while training at Venice, Florida. She was his nurse after he suffered an appendicitis attack while in RTU training there on P40s, prior to deployment into the ETO. He flew P51 Mustangs during WWII at RAF Steeple Morden in England, and remained in the Army of Occupation after hostilities ended. Gregg separated from the service and soon resumed his singing career with Frankie Carle and his Orchestra, where he became "Gregg Lawrence" to avoid having two Frankies in the same band. He sang solos and paired with several female vocalists including Marjorie Hughes, Mr Carle's daughter. Gregg was recalled to active duty for the Korean Conflict. Following hostilities, he remained on active duty, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the USAF (Distinguished Flying Cross with three Oak Leaf clusters) stationed at Mission TX, Riverside CA, Marquette MI (KI Sawyer Base), Chateau Rue AFB, France, RAF Mildenhall, England and Dyess AFB, Texas. He later flew resupply missions in C-7A Caribou aircraft in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia during the years 1968-1969, and was the Deputy Commander for Operations of a B52 Wing based in Abilene, TX. At the time of his death he was attending SW Texas State University, now Texas State University.