Billy May

Edward William May Jr. (November 10, 1916 – January 22, 2004) was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music for The Green Hornet (1966), The Mod Squad (1968), Batman (with Batgirl theme, 1967), and Naked City (1960). He collaborated on films such as Pennies from Heaven (1981), and orchestrated Cocoon, and Cocoon: The Return, among others.

May wrote arrangements for many top singers, including Frank Sinatra, Yma Sumac, Nat King Cole, Anita O'Day, Peggy Lee, Vic Damone, Bobby Darin, Johnny Mercer, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Prima, Keely Smith, Jack Jones, Bing Crosby, Sandler and Young, Nancy Wilson, Rosemary Clooney, The Andrews Sisters and Ella Mae Morse. He also collaborated with satirist Stan Freberg on several classic 1950s and 1960s comedy music albums.

As a trumpet player in the 1940s Big Band era, May recorded such songs as "Measure for Measure", "Long Tall Mama", and "Boom Shot", with Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, and "The Wrong Idea", "Lumby", and "Wings Over Manhattan" with Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra. With his own band, he had a hit single, "Charmaine". In the 1950s he released several successful albums of his unique orchestral arrangements and compositions, including Sorta-May and Sorta-Dixie.

Birth and Death Data: Born November 10, 1916 (Pittsburgh), Died January 22, 2004 (San Juan Capistrano)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1939 - 1959

Roles Represented in DAHR: trumpet, arranger, leader, composer, songwriter, vocalist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 157 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-047711 10-in. 2/27/1940 You've got me out on a limb Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-047712 10-in. 2/27/1940 Castle of dreams Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-047985 10-in. 3/21/1940 A lover's lullaby Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-047986 10-in. 3/21/1940 Where was I? Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-047987 10-in. 3/21/1940 'Deed I do Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-047988 10-in. 3/21/1940 You've got me voo-doo'd Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-047989 10-in. 3/21/1940 Wanderin' blues Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-047990 10-in. 3/21/1940 Leapin' at the Lincoln Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-048791 10-in. 4/16/1940 You're lovely and I'm lonely Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-048792 10-in. 4/16/1940 Fools fall in love Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-048909 10-in. 4/16/1940 Dark Avenue Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-048910 10-in. 4/16/1940 The breeze and I Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-048911 10-in. 4/16/1940 Afternoon of a moax Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-048912 10-in. 4/16/1940 The fable of the rose Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-056124 10-in. 9/17/1940 The moon is cryin' for me Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Larry Taylor Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-056125 10-in. 9/17/1940 Wild Mab of the fishpond Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-056126 10-in. 9/17/1940 Wings over Manhattan Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-056127 10-in. 9/17/1940 Wings over Manhattan Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-056128 10-in. 9/17/1940 Night and day Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-056129 10-in. 9/17/1940 Southern fried Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-056483 10-in. 10/14/1940 I hear a rhapsody Bob Carroll ; Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-056484 10-in. 10/14/1940 Whatcha know, Joe? Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Ford Leary ; Three Moaxes Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal trio instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-056485 10-in. 10/14/1940 Isola bella (that little Swiss isle) Bob Carroll ; Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-056486 10-in. 10/14/1940 Redskin rhumba Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-056487 10-in. 10/14/1940 Buffy boy Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
(Results 26-50 of 157 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "May, Billy," accessed April 24, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104862.

May, Billy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104862.

"May, Billy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104862

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