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 76-100 of 157 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-060912 10-in. 2/19/1941 The spirit is willing Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-060913 10-in. 2/19/1941 A little old church in England Dorothy Claire ; Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-060914 10-in. 2/19/1941 Perfidia Dorothy Claire ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-060915 10-in. 2/20/1941 It's always you Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-060916 10-in. 2/20/1941 Spring will be so sad (When she comes this year) Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-060917 10-in. 2/20/1941 The air minded executive Tex Beneke ; Dorothy Claire ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-060918 10-in. 2/20/1941 Below the equator Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-061243 10-in. 5/7/1941 Boulder buff Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-061244 10-in. 5/7/1941 The booglie wooglie piggy Tex Beneke ; The Four Modernaires ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and mixed vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-061245 10-in. 5/7/1941 Chattanooga choo choo Tex Beneke ; The Four Modernaires ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-061246 10-in. 5/7/1941 I know why Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Paula Kelly Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-061253 10-in. 5/20/1941 Don't cry, Cherie Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-061254 10-in. 5/20/1941 Cradle song Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance, with male vocal solo and vocal ensemble instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-061255 10-in. 5/20/1941 Sweeter than the sweetest Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Paula Kelly ; Modernaires Jazz/dance, with female vocal solo and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-061265 10-in. 5/28/1941 I guess I'll have to dream the rest Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-061266 10-in. 5/28/1941 Take the 'A' train Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-061267 10-in. 5/28/1941 Peekaboo to you The Four Modernaires ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-061268 10-in. 5/28/1941 The angels came thru Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-064471 10-in. 6/25/1941 Under blue Canadian skies Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-064472 10-in. 6/25/1941 The cowboy serenade (While I'm rollin' my last cigarette) Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-064473 10-in. 6/25/1941 You and I Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-064474 10-in. 6/25/1941 Adios Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-067625 10-in. 8/11/1941 It happened in Sun Valley Tex Beneke ; Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Paula Kelly ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal trio and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-067626 10-in. 8/11/1941 I'm thrilled Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-067627 10-in. 8/11/1941 The kiss polka Ernie Caceres ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Paula Kelly ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
(Results 76-100 of 157 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "May, Billy," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104862.

May, Billy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104862.

"May, Billy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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