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 1-25 of 157 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor PBS-036482 10-in. 9/10/1939 The duke's idea Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-036483 10-in. 9/10/1939 My heart keeps crying Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Judy Ellington Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-036484 10-in. 9/10/1939 Lilacs in the rain Del Casino ; Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-036485 10-in. 9/10/1939 Take a tip from the whip-poor-will Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Judy Ellington Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-036486 10-in. 9/10/1939 The count's idea Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-036487 10-in. 9/10/1939 The girl with the pigtails in her hair Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Judy Ellington Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-038276 10-in. 7/17/1939 Cherokee Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-038277 10-in. 7/17/1939 For tonight Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Larry Taylor Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-038278 10-in. 7/17/1939 What's new? Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Larry Taylor Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-038279 10-in. 7/17/1939 Love grows on the white oak tree Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Judy Ellington Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-038280 10-in. 7/17/1939 (Stay up "Stan") The all night record man Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Judy Ellington Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-038281 10-in. 7/17/1939 The last jump (A jump to end all jumps) Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor PBS-042178 10-in. 10/9/1939 The wrong idea Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Billy May Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, songwriter  
Victor BS-043989 10-in. 12/11/1939 Now you know Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-043990 10-in. 12/11/1939 I kinda like you Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-043991 10-in. 12/11/1939 Night after night after you Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-043992 10-in. 12/11/1939 Between 18th and 19th on Chestnut Street Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-043993 10-in. 12/11/1939 Somebody told me Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-043994 10-in. 12/11/1939 Clap hands, here comes Charlie Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-046056 10-in. 1/3/1940 Thank your stars Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-046057 10-in. 1/3/1940 Tappin' at the Tappa Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-046058 10-in. 1/3/1940 Comanche war dance Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-046059 10-in. 1/3/1940 Southland shuffle Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-047709 10-in. 2/27/1940 Ev'ry Sunday afternoon Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-047710 10-in. 2/27/1940 From another world Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Mary Ann McCall Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
(Results 1-25 of 157 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "May, Billy," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104862.

May, Billy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104862.

"May, Billy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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