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 51-75 of 157 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-056488 10-in. 10/14/1940 Lumby Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-057610 10-in. 11/8/1940 Fresh as a daisy Tex Beneke ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Marion Hutton ; Jack Lathrop Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal trio instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-057611 10-in. 11/8/1940 Isn't that just like love? Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Jack Lathrop Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-057612 10-in. 11/8/1940 Along the Santa Fe Trail Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-057613 10-in. 11/8/1940 Do you know why? Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-057648 10-in. 11/15/1940 Somewhere Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-057649 10-in. 11/15/1940 Yes, my darling daughter Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Marion Hutton Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and vocal ensemble instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-057661 10-in. 11/22/1940 A stone's throw from heaven Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-057662 10-in. 11/22/1940 Helpless Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-057663 10-in. 11/22/1940 Long time no see, baby Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Marion Hutton Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-057664 10-in. 11/22/1940 You are the one Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-058172 10-in. 12/13/1940 Anvil chorus Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-058173 10-in. 12/13/1940 Anvil chorus Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-058174 10-in. 12/13/1940 Frenesi Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-058805 10-in. 12/27/1940 The mem'ry of a rose Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-058806 10-in. 12/27/1940 I do, do you? (Do you believe in love) Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-058807 10-in. 12/27/1940 Chapel in the valley Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-058808 10-in. 12/27/1940 Prairieland lullaby Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-058884 10-in. 1/17/1941 Ida! Sweet as apple cider Tex Beneke ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-058885 10-in. 1/17/1941 Song of the Volga boatman Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-058886 10-in. 1/17/1941 The one I love (belongs to somebody else) Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band. with male vocal solo and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-058887 10-in. 1/17/1941 You stepped out of a dream Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band. with male vocal solo and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-058888 10-in. 1/17/1941 I dreamt I dwelt in Harlem Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-058889 10-in. 1/17/1941 Sun Valley jump Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-060911 10-in. 2/19/1941 When that man is dead and gone Tex Beneke ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
(Results 51-75 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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