May Singhi Breen

May Singhi Breen (née May W. Singhi ; February 24, 1891, New York City – 19 December 1970, New York City) was an American composer, arranger, and ukulelist, who became known as "The Original Ukulele Lady." Her work in the music publishing business spanned several decades. Breen was the driving force in getting the ukulele accepted as a musical instrument by the American Federation of Musicians. In 2000, she became the first woman inducted into the Ukulele Hall of Fame.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 24, 1891 (New York City), Died December 19, 1970

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1923 - 1932

Roles Represented in DAHR: ukulele, composer, lyricist, songwriter, banjo, vocalist, arranger

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-30153 10-in. 6/2/1924 Ukulele blues International Novelty Orchestra Orchestra composer, instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor B-31728 10-in. 1/16/1925 Sudanaby May Singhi Breen Trio Instrumental trio composer, instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor B-31729 10-in. 1/16/1925 I never knew how much I loved you May Singhi Breen Trio Instrumental trio instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor B-32053 10-in. 3/4/1925 The time will come Vernon Dalhart Male vocal solo, with violin, guitar, and ukulele instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor B-32055 10-in. 3/4/1925 He sure can play the harmonica Vernon Dalhart Male vocal solo, with violin, guitar, and ukulele instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor B-32225 10-in. 3/19/1925 What a life (When no one loves you) Gene Austin Male vocal solo, with ukulele instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor B-32431 10-in. 4/15/1925 Let it rain Gene Austin Male vocal solo, with ukulele and piano instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor BVE-33092 10-in. 7/22/1925 Ukulele lesson May Singhi Breen ; Vaughn De Leath ; Peter De Rose Ukulele instruction, with female vocal solo and piano instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor BVE-33093 10-in. 7/22/1925 Ukulele lesson May Singhi Breen ; Vaughn De Leath ; Peter De Rose Ukulele instruction, with female vocal solo and piano instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor BVE-34103 10-in. 11/30/1925 Five foot two, eyes of blue (Has anybody seen my girl) Gene Austin Male vocal solo, with ukulele and piano (takes 3-6); with orchestra (takes 1 and 2) instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor BVE-34139 10-in. 12/11/1925 Sleepy time girl Gene Austin Male vocal solo, with ukulele and piano instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor BVE-34300 10-in. 1/6/1926 Where is my Rose of Waikiki The Revelers Male vocal quartet, with ukulele and piano instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor BVE-35865 10-in. 9/11/1926 Broken hearted Sue Brox Sisters Female vocal trio, with piano composer  
Victor BVE-35904 10-in. 7/8/1926 Yukel mit sein yukeleile Bessie Weissman Female vocal solo, with ukulele and piano instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor BVE-35905 10-in. 7/8/1926 Oi, gevald, ve derlebt men dus Bessie Weissman Female vocal solo, with ukulele and piano instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor BVE-36075 10-in. 8/30/1926 No one but you knows how to love Evelyn Preer Female vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor BVE-36076 10-in. 8/30/1926 What does my honeydew do? Evelyn Preer Female vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor BVE-36077 10-in. 8/30/1926 Bye bye blackbird Evelyn Preer Female vocal solo, with ukulele and piano instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor BVE-36886 10-in. 10/30/1926 No one but you knows how to love Jack Smith Male vocal solo, with 2 pianos composer  
Victor BVE-39109 10-in. 8/24/1927 Marvelous Johnny Marvin Male vocal solo, with clarinet, cornet, and piano lyricist  
Victor BVE-39314 10-in. 8/9/1927 Marvelous Parisian Red Heads Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BVE-39580 10-in. 8/24/1927 Marvelous Ted Weems Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet lyricist  
Victor BS-73905 10-in. 11/2/1932 Back in the old Sunday school Pickens Sisters Female vocal trio, with instrumental quartet songwriter  
Victor BS-73979 10-in. 11/22/1932 I'm sure of everything but you May Singhi Breen ; Peter De Rose ; Peter De Rose Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet vocalist  
Victor BS-73980 10-in. 11/22/1932 A boy and a girl were dancing Peter De Rose Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet vocalist  
Victor [Trial 1923-12-13-01] Not documented 12/13/1923 One, two, three, four May Singhi Breen Ukulele solo instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor [Trial 1925-05-12-06] 10-in. 5/12/1925 Ukulele course : Parts 1 and 2 May Singhi Breen Ukulele instruction, with female vocal solo and piano instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor [Trial 1925-06-30-04] 10-in. 6/30/1925 Bits of bacon May Singhi Breen ; Peter De Rose Piano and banjo duet instrumentalist, banjo  
Victor [Trial 1925-06-30-05] 10-in. 6/30/1925 Silver bell tricks May Singhi Breen ; Peter De Rose Piano and banjo duet instrumentalist, banjo  
Victor [Trial 1925-10-07-04] 10-in. 10/7/1925 Hawaiian kisses May Singhi Breen ; Peter De Rose Instrumental trio (Hawaiian) instrumentalist, ukulele  
Victor [Trial 1926-03-08-02] 10-in. 3/8/1926 Lulu Belle Lenore Ulric Monologue, with ukulele instrumentalist, ukulele  
Columbia 81823 10-in. 6/12/1924 Ukulele blues Roy Smeck Ukulele solo, unaccompanied composer  
Columbia 140341 10-in. 2/11/1925 Christofo Columbo Ben Smith Male vocal solo, with ukulele and piano instrumentalist, ukulele  
Columbia 140342 10-in. 2/11/1925 What a life May Singhi Breen ; Ben Smith Male vocal solo, with ukulele and piano instrumentalist, ukulele  
Columbia 140345 10-in. 2/13/1925 You gave all your kisses to somebody else May Singhi Breen ; Billy Heagney ; Ben Smith Male vocal solo, with ukulele and piano instrumentalist, ukulele  
Columbia W142839 10-in. 10/19/1926 Broken-hearted Sue Art Gillham Male vocal solo, with piano songwriter  
Columbia W143357 10-in. 1/27/1927 No-one but you (Knows how to love) Les Reis Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 143494 10-in. 2/17/1927 No-one but you knows how to love Beth Challis ; Eddie Lambert Female vocal solo, with piano composer  
Columbia W143499 10-in. 2/19/1927 Desert eyes Columbians ; Charles Kaley Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia W144153 10-in. 5/16/1927 I told you I'd never forget you Art Gillham Male vocal solo, with piano songwriter  
Columbia W144794 10-in. 9/24/1927 Marvelous Frank Harris ; The Knickerbockers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia 145230 10-in. 11/23/1927 Marvelous Lou Gold Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia [W]148656 10-in. 6/4/1929 Ua like no a like Frank Ferera's Hawaiian Trio ; Annette Hanshaw Instrumental trio (Hawaiian), with female vocal solo arranger  
OKeh S-72704 10-in. July 1924 Ukulele blues Ernest Hare ; Harry Reser Male vocal solo, with ukulele composer  
Brunswick E3517-E3519 10-in. 7/23/1926 Broken-hearted Sue The Ambassadors Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Brunswick E3942-E3943 10-in. 10/15/1926 No one but you knows how to love The Bostonians Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick E3968-E3969 10-in. 10/20/1926 No one but you knows how to love Peggy English Female vocal solo, with instrumental quintet composer  
Brunswick E4022-E4023 10-in. 10/28/1926 No one but you knows how to love The Bostonians Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick E20213-E20214 10-in. 9/20/1926 No one but you knows how to love Wendell W. Hall Male vocal solo, with violin, cello, and piano composer  
Brunswick E20391-E20392 10-in. 10/13/1926 No one but you knows how to love Wendell W. Hall Male vocal solo, with violin, cello, and piano composer  
Brunswick C586-C587 10-in. 9/8/1926 Broken-hearted Sue Guy Lombardo ; Royal Canadians Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Brunswick C606-C607 10-in. 9/10/1926 Desert eyes Jules Herbuveaux ; Palmer House Victorians Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Brunswick C626A-C627A 10-in. 9/11/1926 No one but you knows how to love Benny Krueger’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Brunswick C1126-C1129 10-in. 9/6/1927 Marvelous Jules Herbuveaux Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Brunswick C1754-C1755 10-in. 3/21/1928 I told you I’d never forget you Wendell W. Hall Male vocal solo, with violin, cello, and piano songwriter  
Brunswick [Br (U.K.) cat 137-b] 10-in. approximately Oct. 1927 Marvellous Harry Shalson Male vocal solo, with piano songwriter  
Brunswick R430 10-in. approximately Oct. 1927 Marvelous Fred Elizalde Piano solo songwriter  
Edison 10310 10-in. 4/10/1925 Sweet Kalula Lou Frank Silver Dance Orchestra ; Lawrence A. Murphy Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Edison 11334 10-in. 11/26/1926 No one but you knows how to love Palais D'Or Orchestra ; B. A. Rolfe Jazz/dance band composer  
Edison 11407 10-in. 12/30/1926 Oh! What I'd give to bring you back Walter Scanlan Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Edison 11432 10-in. 1/18/1927 Desert eyes Oreste Queensland Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio lyricist  
Edison 11870 10-in. 9/6/1927 Marvelous Arthur Fields ; Al Lynn ; Music Masters Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Edison 11938 10-in. 10/6/1927 I told you I'd never forget you Theo Alban Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Edison 19097 10-in. 3/13/1929 When I'm walkin' with my sweetness (Down among the sugar cane) Vaughn De Leath Female vocal solo, with ukulele and piano instrumentalist, ukulele  
Edison 19098 10-in. 3/13/1929 I'm "ka-razy" for you Vaughn De Leath Female vocal solo, with ukulele and piano instrumentalist, ukulele  
Edison N-788 10-in. 3/13/1929 When I'm walkin' with my sweetness (Down among the sugar cane) Vaughn De Leath Female vocal solo, with ukulele and piano instrumentalist, ukulele  
Edison N-789 10-in. 3/13/1929 I'm "ka-razy" for you Vaughn De Leath Female vocal solo, with ukulele and piano instrumentalist, ukulele  
Plaza/ARC 5479 10-in. April 1924 My papa doesn't two-time no time Ernest Hare Male vocal solo, with ukulele instrumentalist, ukulele  
Plaza/ARC 5543 10-in. June 1924 He's a new kind of man (With a new kind of love for me) Vernon Dalhart Male vocal solo, with ukulele instrumentalist, ukulele  
Plaza/ARC 5577 10-in. August 1924 Hard-hearted Hannah Arthur Fields Male vocal solo, with clarinet and ukulele instrumentalist, ukulele  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Breen, May Singhi," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/107747.

Breen, May Singhi. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/107747.

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

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/107747

External Sources

Wikipedia: May Singhi Breen

Discogs: May Singhi Breen

IMSLP: May Singhi Breen

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Breen, May Singhi - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n97874187

Wikidata: May Singhi Breen - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q16006716

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/179149106254368491961

MusicBrainz: May Singhi Breen - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/b23267dd-7c2c-4e49-a966-3d95ef366ffe

FAST: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/407397

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.