George Treadwell

Who was George Treadwell?

George McKinley Treadwell was an American jazz trumpeter.

Treadwell played in the house band at Monroe's in Harlem in 1941–1942, then worked with Benny Carter later in 1942 in Florida. Following stints with Ace Harris's Sunset Royals and Tiny Bradshaw, Treadwell worked with Cootie Williams and J.C. Heard. As a member of Heard's ensemble, he accompanied Etta Jones and Sarah Vaughan, and he married Vaughan in 1947. He also recorded with Dicky Wells and Ethel Waters in 1946.

Treadwell quit playing late in the 1940s to work as Vaughan's manager, and continued in this capacity after they divorced in 1957. He also managed The Drifters and Ruth Brown and did artists and repertoire work in the 1950s. After 1959 Treadwell also worked as a songwriter.