There is perhaps no one person more unsung in shaping the sound of classic popular music than Edward William "Billy" May, Jr. Indeed, there are many people who are fans of May's music without even realizing it through his collaborations with Frank Sinatra. Even if he had never written a note for the Chairman of the Board, however, May's catalogue of work is not only of the highest quality, but also of stunning diversity.

Born on November 10, 1916 in Pittsburgh, PA, May began playing tuba as a youth on recommendation of a doctor who believed it to be an effective treatment for his childhood asthma. Switching to trumpet, May worked as both an instrumentalist and arranger for several small outlets before joining the Charlie Barnet Orchestra in 1938. May was responsible for crafting the arrangement for Barnet's hit recording of "Cherokee," which has since gone on to become one of the most frequently covered standards in part because of the Barnet version. After leaving Barnet, May worked largely as a freelance arranger and trumpeter, notably for the bands of Glenn Miller and Les Brown, for the majority of the 1940s. In the early 1950s, May caught the attention of producers at Capitol Records, who hired him as a staff arranger for their sizeable stable of vocalists. His best-known collaborations were with Frank Sinatra, as May would author the arrangements of some of Sinatra's biggest hits, including 1958's "Come Fly With Me." In addition to Sinatra, May's arrangements graced the recordings of Ella Fitzgerald, Nat "King" Cole and Nancy Wilson, among countless others, during this time.

By the 1960s, May became more involved in film and television. Having written his first film score in 1957, May's songs and scores became frequently heard in many different Hollywood settings, ranging from Rat Pack films to a collaboration with humorist Stan Freberg. Throughout this time, his relationship with Sinatra remained fruitful, with May continuing to write arrangements for Sinatra's albums on his newly founded Reprise Records label. The two were so close that May was an honorary pall-bearer at Sinatra's funeral in 1998.

Having largely been in retirement since the 1980s, May passed away from a heart attack on January 22, 2004. He leaves behind a list of credits that are second to none in the world of pop music as an arranger, and his signature style, featuring mercurial brass writing and "swooping" saxophone riffs, continues to serve as a template upon which many of today's top arrangers work.