Biography
Billy May was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. Born Edward William May Jr. on 10 November 1916 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he died on 22 January 2004 in San Juan Capistrano, California.
He began his career playing trumpet and arranging for big bands including those of Charlie Barnet and Glenn Miller. From the 1940s he worked extensively as a studio arranger for Capitol Records and later composed and arranged for film and television, including scores and themes for The Green Hornet, The Mod Squad, Naked City, Emergency! and MASH (1978). His film work includes Pennies from Heaven (1981) and orchestration on Cocoon* (1985). May won two Grammy Awards and was known for his collaborations with singers such as Frank Sinatra.
