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 101-125 of 165 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-067628 10-in. 8/11/1941 Delilah Tex Beneke ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-067629 10-in. 8/11/1941 From one love to another Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-067630 10-in. 8/11/1941 Elmer's tune Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-067741 10-in. 9/3/1941 Says who? Says you, says I! Tex Beneke ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Marion Hutton ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-067742 10-in. 9/3/1941 Orange Blossom Lane Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-067743 10-in. 9/3/1941 Dear Arabella Tex Beneke ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Marion Hutton ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-067744 10-in. 9/3/1941 The man in the moon Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-067745 10-in. 9/3/1941 Ma-ma-Maria (Fee-dle, ee-dle-lee, fee-dle, ee-dle-la) Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-067746 10-in. 9/3/1941 This time the dream's on me Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-068066 10-in. 11/3/1941 Humpty-Dumpty heart Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-068067 10-in. 11/3/1941 Everything I love Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal choir instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-068068 10-in. 11/3/1941 A string of pearls Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-068069 10-in. 11/3/1941 Baby Mine Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal ensemble instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-068071 10-in. 11/3/1941 Day dreaming Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-068418 10-in. 11/24/1941 Moonlight sonata Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Chummy MacGregor Jazz/dance band, with piano solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-068419 10-in. 11/24/1941 Slumber song Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with humming instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-068420 10-in. 11/24/1941 (There'll be blue birds over) The white cliffs of Dover Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-068421 10-in. 11/24/1941 We're the couple in the castle Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-068422 10-in. 11/24/1941 It happened in Hawaii Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal ensemble instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-068456 10-in. 12/8/1941 Moonlight cocktail Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Modernaires Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal quartet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-068457 10-in. 12/8/1941 Happy in love Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Marion Hutton Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-068458 10-in. 12/8/1941 Fooled Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-068459 10-in. 12/8/1941 Keep 'em flying Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-068460 10-in. 12/8/1941 Chip off the old block Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor BS-068461 10-in. 12/8/1941 The story of a starry night Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
(Results 101-125 of 165 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "May, Billy," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/104862.

May, Billy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/104862.

"May, Billy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/104862

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