Richard Ernest May (22 November 19431 June 1988) was a New Zealand-born jazz singer and musician, best known for singing cover versions of numerous pop songs or jazz standards. He moved to Australia in 1962 where he worked mainly in theatre and cabaret and had TV appearances on ''

The Don Lane Show ''The Don Lane Show'' was an Australian television talk show which aired twice a week on the Nine Network from 1975 to 1983. The show was created by Don Lane who co-hosted it with Bert Newton. Channel Nine was reluctant to cast Bert Newton, who ...

'', ''

The Midday Show ''Midday'' (commonly referred to as ''The Midday Show'') is an Australian award-winning daytime television program, based on the variety format that aired on the Nine Network on 11 February 1985 until 27 November 1998. The show aired, like its ...

'' and ''

Hey Hey It's Saturday ''Hey Hey It's Saturday'' was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 28 years on the Nine Network from 9 October 1971 to 20 November 1999, with a recess in 1978. Its host throughout its entire ...

'', as well as taking over hosting from Mike Walsh on pop music show ''Ten on the Town''

Biography

May was born as Richard Ernest May in New Zealand in

Onehunga Onehunga is a suburb of Auckland in New Zealand and the location of the Port of Onehunga, the city's small port on the Manukau Harbour. It is south of the Auckland CBD, city centre, close to the volcano, volcanic cone of Maungakiekie / One Tree ...

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

, of

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

descent. His father, Keith May, was a jazz band leader and played

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...

. May grew up with his siblings, and from the age of 15 he performed at Picasso, a café/nightclub in Auckland. Apart from vocals, May played drums and piano but generally worked as a variety entertainer. He would introduce unconventional vocalisations, improvisation, and the spoken word into performance. In 1961, jazz pianist Ronnie Smith set up a group to play at the Sorrento Club,

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

. Smith's group had Tommy Tamati on bass guitar, and May joined on drums and backing vocals. May become a regular with the group and sometimes provided lead vocals.

Bruno Lawrence David Charles Lawrence (12 February 194110 June 1995) known as Bruno Lawrence was an English-born musician and actor, who was active in the industry in New Zealand and Australia. Initially notable as a musician and founder of 1970s ensemble Bl ...

, an English-born jazz musician who was regularly in the audience, often got up to play the drums when May sang lead. The group worked for about a year and toured southern North Island. At the end of 1961, May returned to Auckland and signed with

Harry M. Miller Harry Maurice Miller (6 January 1934 – 4 July 2018) was a New Zealand Australian promoter, publicist and media agent. Life and career Born on 6 January 1934 in New Zealand, Miller grew up in the Auckland suburb of Grey Lynn. He moved to Aus ...

's La Gloria label, which released his debut single in 1961, a cover version of the

Chubby Checker Chubby Checker (born Ernest Evans; October 3, 1941) is an American rock and roll singer and dancer. He is widely known for popularizing many dance styles, including The Twist dance style, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard & The Midnighte ...

hit "

Let's Twist Again "Let's Twist Again" is a song written by Kal Mann and Dave Appell, and released as a single by Chubby Checker. One of the biggest hit singles of 1961, it reached No.8 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' pop chart (No.3 on ''Cash Box'') in August of that ye ...

". He followed with "

I Could Have Danced All Night "I Could Have Danced All Night" is a song from the musical ''My Fair Lady'', with music written by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner,My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...

'' in 1962. During that year, he relocated to Sydney and primarily worked in cabaret. He recorded compositions of

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

and appeared on Australian TV shows ''The Don Lane Show'', ''Farnham and Byrne'' (co-hosted by

John Farnham John Peter Farnham Officer of the Order of Australia, AO (born 1 July 1949) is a British born Australian singer. Farnham was a Teen idol, teen pop idol from 1967 until 1979, billed then as Johnny Farnham, but has since forged a career as an Adu ...

and

Debra Byrne Debra Anne Byrne (born 30 March 1957), formerly billed as Debbie Byrne, is an Australian pop singer, variety entertainer, theatre and TV actress and writer, director and choreographer of cabaret. From April 1971 to March 1975 she was a founding ...

), and made regular appearances on ''The Midday Show''. In 1966, May released another single, "This Little Boy's Gone Rockin'", via RCA (Bluebird Records)."Record Labels – Bluebird"
Singles/ Cat. #101643 /Date:1965/ Artist:/Ricky May with Latin Quarter Discotheque Combo under direction of Jimmy Sloggett / Title(s):"This Little Boy's Gone Rockin'" (Darin-Curtis) "Spanish Harlem" (Leiber-Stoller), Australasian Music & Popular Culture 1964-1975, MILESAGO From March of that year, he hosted the Sydney teen pop music TV series ''Ten on the Town'' on TEN-10.''Ten on the Town''
10 Network / x30m-e / 1965-66 black and white/Producer/Director: Kevin Ryder/Teen themed pop music show hosted by Mike Walsh and then for season two Ricky May. It ran in direct competition with ''

Bandstand A bandstand (sometimes music kiosk) is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an orname ...

'' on TCN-9 and ''

Col Joye Colin Frederick Jacobsen (born 13 April 1937), better known by his stage name Col Joye, is an Australian pioneer rock singer-songwriter, musician and entrepreneur with a career spanning some sixty years. Joye was the first Australian rock and r ...

'' on

ATN-7 ATN is the Sydney Flagship (broadcasting), flagship television station of the Seven Network in Australia. The licence, issued to a company named Amalgamated Television Services, a subsidiary of Fairfax Media, John Fairfax & Sons, was one of the ...

. Walter Learning of ''

The Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in ...

'' compared the three shows, which "vie for the younger audience" and found that "''Bandstand'' must win hands down" as ''Col Joye'' "has no life" and May's show "suffers from over effort on the part of all concerned." He issued no further recordings until 1973: a double album with the Julian Lee Orchestra, ''Fats Enough'', on ABC records. In 1974, ABC decided to release a second double album, ''Just Foolin' Around – A Tribute to

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

''. In 1983, the first half of this album was re-released on CD as ''A Tribute to the Greats''. 1981 saw the J&B release an album, ''Ricky May'', while ABC Records issued a compilation, ''The Best of Ricky May'', on CD. He issued a duet single with Jonathan Coleman, "Built for Comfort (I Ain't Built for Speed)"/"Off the Record", as the Big Boys in 1983. In 1986, RCA released a Christmas album, ''It's the Christmas Man''. Beyond this point, he concentrated on live cabaret performances and television work. He later appeared regularly on ''

''. In November 1988 there was a golf tournament held in May's honor.

Awards

In 1988, May received the

Benny Award The Benny Award is bestowed on a New Zealand variety entertainer. It is presented annually by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand, a non-for-profit organisation and showbusiness club, founded in 1966 and awarded to a variety performer who ha ...

from the

Variety Artists Club of New Zealand The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc (VAC) is a non-for-profit organisation and show business club. It was founded in 1966 and became an incorporated society in 1972. The VAC was formed to promote goodwill within the New Zealand enterta ...

, the highest honour available to a New Zealand variety entertainer.

Death

On 1 June 1988, Ricky May had a fatal heart attack at the Regent Hotel, Sydney, after getting a standing ovation on the opening night of a new cabaret show. He was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital. He was 44 years of age. His wife, Colleen Ann May, died on 17 August 2017, aged 75.. Note: User must add 'May' into the Surname search parameter and 'Colleen' into the Any Given Name(s) parameter.

Discography

Albums

Awards

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the

Mo Awards The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards) were an annual Australian entertainment industry award, that where established in 1975, to recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia. They were l ...

), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Ricky May won three awards in that time. (wins only) , - , 1979 , Ricky May , Entertainer of the Year , , - , rowspan="2", 1988 , Ricky May , John Campbell Fellowship Award , , - , Ricky May , Entertainer of the Year , , -

References

External links

*
Ricky May
recordings.
Hey Hey Its Saturday Ricky May tribute package, 1988
{{DEFAULTSORT:May, Ricky 1943 births 1988 deaths New Zealand jazz singers New Zealand Māori male singers New Zealand male stage actors New Zealand television personalities 20th-century New Zealand male actors People from Auckland New Zealand expatriates in Australia 20th-century New Zealand male singers Musicians who died on stage Daly-Wilson Big Band members