Background
Ricky May was born in Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand, of Māori descent.
Ricky May was born in Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand, of Māori descent.
Apart from being a vocalist, he played drums and piano but was known best as a variety entertainer. He would often introduce unconventional vocalisations, improvisation and the spoken-word while singing. He commonly recorded compositions of National King Cole and appeared on many television tonight shows including The Don Lane Show, Farnham and Byrne, along with regular appearances on the Midday Show.
In 1962 he moved to Australia and began a career in cabaret.
In 1966 he hosted the Sydney teen popular music show Ten on the Town He found national fame and popularity with the show Hey Hey lieutenant"s Saturday. In 1961 jazz pianist Ronnie Smith set up a group to play at the "Sorrento" in Wellington.
The group included Tommy Tamati on bass and a young Ricky May on drums and vocals. Bruno Lawrence was always watching in the audience and was given a chance to play the drums when Ricky got up to sing.
He impressed Ronnie enough to become a regular with the group.
The group stayed together for about a year, even touring around the lower North Island area.