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 165 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
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 165 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "May, Billy," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/104862.

May, Billy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/104862.

"May, Billy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.