May Irwin (1862-1938)

Overview

According to Nora Hulse in her 24 Piano Rags, May Irwin was an American entertainer born in Ontario, Canada. Together with her sister Flo sang and played the piano. By 1872 they were performing in the Adelphi theatre in Buffalo, New York. She is said to have been "the first red hot mamma". She enjoyed a long career until 1922 in the course of which she appeared on the New York stage. She is credited with a number of songs but of ragtime interest is her "May Irwin's Ragtime Dance (1906).

Websites:
	May Irwin	Biography and list of works by "Perfessor" Bill Edwards

May Irwin (1862-1938) has at least 10 item(s) at the Amazons which you can order on-line by clicking the item's order icon.

May Irwin's Frog Song
Music by: Charles E. Trevathan.
Performed by: May Irwin

Publisher:	White-Smith Music Publishing Co.
Suppliers:
Printed: 1896.	Sheet Music.

Honey on My Lips Plantation Song
Music by: Charles E. Trevathan.
Words by: Reginald De Koven
Performed by: May Irwin

Publisher:	White-Smith Music Publishing Co.
Suppliers:
Printed: 1898.	Sheet Music 5 pages.

Dan Song
Music by: May Irwin.
Words by: Earle C. Jones

Publisher:	Jos. W. Stern & Co.
Suppliers:
Printed: 1906.	Sheet Music. Limited Availability.

Dreaming Song
Music by: May Irwin.
Words by: John E. Hazzard

Publisher:	G. W. Setchell
Suppliers:
⇑ Printed: 1906.	Sheet Music 5 pages. Limited Availability.

I'm Worried to Death About That Song
Words and Music by: May Irwin.

Publisher:	M. Witmark and Sons
Suppliers:
Printed: 1904.	Sheet Music. Limited Availability.

Mamie! Come Kiss Your Honey Boy Plantation Song
Words and Music by: May Irwin.

Publisher:	Chas. Sheard & Co.
Suppliers:
Printed: 1893.	Sheet Music 5 pages. Limited Availability.

Mandy A Plantation Song
Words and Music by: May Irwin.

Publisher:	Chas. Sheard & Co.
Suppliers:
Printed: 1894.	Sheet Music. Limited Availability.

May Irwin's Ragtime Dance - Song
Words and Music by: May Irwin.

Publisher:	G. W. Setchell
Suppliers:
⇑ Printed: 1906.	Sheet Music 7 pages. Limited Availability.

New Love's Come to Stay, The Song
Words and Music by: May Irwin.

Publisher:	White-Smith Music Publishing Co.
Suppliers:
Printed: 1897.	Sheet Music 5 pages. Limited Availability.

Taint No Sense in Loving Dat Way Song
Words and Music by: May Irwin.

Publisher:	M. Witmark and Sons
Suppliers:
Printed: 1904.	Sheet Music. Limited Availability.

Cylinders

	Title (Release Year)	Composer	Performers	Issue


	She Borrowed My Only Husband and Forgot to Bring Him Back (1908)	M. Irwin	Ada Jones	Edison Gold Moulded Record: 9792
	Mamie! Come Kiss Your Honey Boy (1896)	M. Irwin	L. Spencer	Columbia Phonograph Co.: 7335

MIDIs

	Title	Co-Author(s)	Sequencer


	New Bully (1896), The		James Pitt-Payne

Samples

	Title (Release Year)	Performers	Instruments


	May Irwin's Ragtime Dance (1906)	Midi Ragtime Recorder Ens.	T/T/T/B/B/GB(B)
	New Bully (1896), The	Midi Ragtime Recorder Ens.	D/T/T/B/GB(B)

CDs

	Performer	CD Title	Supplier


	Folk Music CDs:
	Various Performers	The High Priestess of Jollity & The Southern Singer
	Ragtime Music CDs:
	Nora Hulse	24 Piano Rags by Women

Item	Title	Available	€	£	$	Other



DBE1095	May Irwin's Ragtime Dance (1906) - Two Step Oddity T/T/T/B/B/GB(B), approx. 2¾ mins.	print-on-demand	€12.00	£10.00	$15.50
DBE1096	The New Bully (1896) - Two-Step D/T/T/B/GB(B), approx. 2 mins.	print-on-demand	€9.00	£7.50	$11.75

Library

	Title	Instruments	Remarks


	May Irwin's Ragtime Dance (1906)	T/T/T/B/B/GB(B)
	New Bully (1896), The	D/T/T/B/GB(B)	Pub.

Mono.

This list is derived from information provided by Monologues.co.uk which went down sometime in 2023.
The loss of this valuable resource is very sad and a mystery.

	Title	Attribution	Remarks


	I Don't Care to Be Your Lady Friend No More	Gus Edwards (music) Will D. Cobb (words) May Irwin (perf.)
	Little Bit's a Whole Lot Better Than None at All, A	Gus Edwards (music) Alfred Bryan (words) Fred Duprez (perf.) May Irwin (perf.)

	Title	Attribution	Instruments	Source	Remarks


Dreaming (1906)	M. Irwin (music) John E. Hazzard (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana
Mamie! Come Kiss Your Honey Boy (1893)	M. Irwin (w&m) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana
She Borrowed My Only Husband and Forgot to Bring Him Back (1907)	M. Irwin (music) William J McKenna (words)	Piano, Voice	Indiana
As performer
Ma Dandy Soldier Coon (1900)	W. Accooe (music) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana
I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark (1907)	E.A. van Alstyne (music) H. Williams (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana
Spanish Coon (1904), The	M. Beam (w&m) M. Irwin (perf.) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	IMSLP Indiana
Dat Coon's Got a Soft Spot For Me (1899)	H. Cawthorn (music) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana
Ma Mississippi Belle (1903)	B. Cole (w&m) J. Rosamond Johnson (coauth.) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana	Pub.
I've Been Hoodoo'ed (1894)	G.L. Davis (music) John J McNally (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	IMSLP
I Don't Care to Be Your Lady Friend No More (1899)	G. Edwards (music) Will D. Cobb (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	IMSLP	Pub.
⇑No Wedding Bells For Me (1906)	S. Furth (music) Edward P Moran (words) W.A. Heelan (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana
May Irwin's Pickaninny's Lullaby (1896)	G.W. Gage (w&m) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana
On the Levee Before the War (1912)	M.J. Gideon (music) Harold Atteridge (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana
Mister Johnson, Turn Me Loose (1896)	B.R. Harney (w&m) M. Irwin (perf.) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	IMSLP Indiana	Pub.
All Coons Look Alike to Me - Song (1896)	E. Hogan (w&m) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana	Pub.
All Coons Look Alike to Me - Song (1897)	E. Hogan (w&m) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	IMSLP	Pub.
⇑Bible Stories (1904)	A. Johns (music) John Lee Clarke (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana	Pub.
Magdaline, My Southern Queen (1900)	J.R. Johnson (music) B. Cole (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	IMSLP
Magdaline, My Southern Queen! (1900)	J.R. Johnson (music) B. Cole (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana	Pub.
Mammy's Carolina Twins (1899)	L. Johnson (music) M. Irwin (perf.) May Howard (perf.) Minnie Palmer (perf.) Anna Suits (perf.) Lydia Barry (perf.) Jennie Kelton (perf.) Ola Hayden (perf.) Ada Sweeney (perf.) Susie Levino (perf.) Margaret Rose (perf.) Vera Harte (perf.) Lizzie B. Raymond (perf.) Lucy Daly (perf.)	Piano	Lester S. Levy Sheet Music Collection
Dar's Somethin' About Yer I Like (1898)	J. Kelly (music) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana
Midnight Serenade (1899)	C. Loftus (music) Glen McDonough (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana
Never Raise a Razor 'less You Want to Raise a Row (1906)	G.B. Lowitz (music) John E. Hazzard (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana
While the Leaves Came Drifting Down (1898)	H. Nevada (w&m) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Kirk
⇑My Little Jungle Queen (1900)	T.H. Northrup (music) E. Hogan (coauth.) M. Irwin (words) James O'Dea (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana	Pub.
Kellys Are at It Again (1913), The	J. Norworth (music) H. Williams (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana
Tennessee (1905)	J. Schwartz (music) H. Williams (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana
He Cert'ny Was Good to Me (1898)	A.B. Sloane (music) Jean C. Havez (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana
Eight Little Letters Make Three Little Words I Love You (1911)	T. Snyder (music) B. Kalmar (words) M. Irwin (perf.) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	IMSLP Indiana
That Opera Rag (1910)	T. Snyder (music) I. Berlin (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana	Pub.
I Just Can't Help Loving That Man (1902)	H. von Tilzer (music) Andrew B. Sterling (words) V. Bryan (words) M. Irwin (perf.) Geo. J. Stanley (perf.) M. Irwin (perf.) M. Irwin (perf.) Tascot (perf.)	Piano, Voice	IMSLP Indiana Indiana
Honey on My Lips (1898)	C.E. Trevathan (music) Reginald De Koven (words) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana	Pub.
⇑May Irwin's Bully Song (1896)	C.E. Trevathan (w&m) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana	Pub.
May Irwin's Frog Song (1896)	C.E. Trevathan (w&m) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana	Pub.
Syncopated Sandy (1897)	N. Wayburn (w&m) S. Whiting (coauth.) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana
Buzzin' the Bee (1916)	J. Wells (w&m) M. Irwin (perf.)	Piano, Voice	Indiana

Titles

The peformer is featured on 66 sheet music/recording covers. It does not claim to be complete and represents only the number of items located. Keys: (w&m) ER

	Title	Composer	Attribution	Remarks


Ma Dandy Soldier Coon (1900)	Will Accooe	May Irwin (perf.)
I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark (1907)	Egbert A. van Alstyne	Harry Williams (words) May Irwin (perf.)
In the Shade of the Pyramids - Song (1904)	Ernest Roland Ball	Cecil Mack (words) May Irwin (perf.)
Spanish Coon (1904), The	Mark Beam(w&m)	May Irwin (perf.)
Ragtime Mocking Bird (1912)	Irving Berlin(w&m)	May Irwin (perf.)
Dat Aint Nothin' But Talk (1904)	Harry Brown(w&m)	May Irwin (perf.)
Albany (1904)	Hughie Cannon	May Irwin (words) May Irwin (perf.)
I Love to Two-Step With My Man (1904)	Hughie Cannon(w&m)	May Irwin (perf.)
I Love My Honey Yes I Do (1895)	Will Carleton	May Irwin (perf.)
De New Bully (1896)	John W. Cavanaugh	May Irwin (perf.)
⇑Dat Coon's Got a Soft Spot For Me (1899)	Herbert Cawthorn	May Irwin (perf.)
Louisiana Lize (1899)	Bob Cole	J.W. Johnson (co-author) Rosamond Johnson (co-author) May Irwin (perf.)
Ma Mississippi Belle (1903)	Bob Cole(w&m)	J. Rosamond Johnson (co-author) May Irwin (perf.)
I've Been Hoodoo'ed (1894)	Gussie Lord Davis	John J McNally (words) May Irwin (perf.)
I'm Crazy 'bout It! (1905)	Shepard N. Edmonds	May Irwin (perf.)
I Don't Care to Be Your Lady Friend No More (1899)	Gus Edwards	Will D. Cobb (words) May Irwin (perf.)
Little Bit's a Whole Lot Better Than None at All (1908), A	Gus Edwards	Alfred Bryan (words) Fred Duprez (perf.) May Irwin (perf.)
No Wedding Bells For Me (1906)	Seymour Furth	Edward P Moran (words) Will A. Heelan (words) May Irwin (perf.)
May Irwin's Pickaninny's Lullaby (1896)	George W. Gage(w&m)	May Irwin (perf.)
John Maloney's Sweetheart (1890)	George W. Gage(w&m)	May Irwin (perf.)
On the Levee Before the War (1912)	Melville J. Gideon	Harold Atteridge (words) May Irwin (perf.)
⇑Keep Your Eye on Your Friend Mister Johnson (1898)	Jackson Gouraud	James T. Powers (words) May Irwin (perf.)
If You Want to Pick a Fuss Wait Till the Sun Shines (1907)	William Hargreaves	Seymour Furth (words) E P Moran (words) May Irwin (perf.)
Mister Johnson, Turn Me Loose (1896)	Benjamin R. Harney(w&m)	May Irwin (perf.)
Good-Bye Booze! (1901)	Jean Havez(w&m)	May Irwin (perf.)
Moon-Shine (1906)	Silvio Hein	Edward Montagu (words) George V. Hobart (words) May Irwin (perf.)
All Coons Look Alike to Me - Song (1896)	Ernest Hogan(w&m)	May Irwin (perf.)
Bible Stories (1904)	Al Johns	John Lee Clarke (words) May Irwin (perf.)
Magdaline, My Southern Queen! (1900)	J. Rosamond Johnson	Bob Cole (words) May Irwin (perf.)
Ain't Dat Scan'lous (1901)	J. Rosamond Johnson	May Irwin (perf.)
⇑Mammy's Carolina Twins (1899)	Lee Johnson	Lydia Barry (perf.) Lucy Daly (perf.) Vera Harte (perf.) Ola Hayden (perf.) May Howard (perf.) May Irwin (perf.) Jennie Kelton (perf.) Susie Levino (perf.) Minnie Palmer (perf.) Lizzie B. Raymond (perf.) Margaret Rose (perf.) Anna Suits (perf.) Ada Sweeney (perf.)
Dar's Somethin' About Yer I Like (1898)	John T. Kelly	May Irwin (perf.)
My Orange Colored Yallar Gal (1898)	Samuel Lapin	May Irwin (perf.)
Midnight Serenade (1899)	Cissie Loftus	Glen McDonough (words) May Irwin (perf.)
My Bed Is Like a Little Boat (1899)	Cissie Loftus	Robert Louis Stevenson (words) May Irwin (perf.)
Never Raise a Razor 'less You Want to Raise a Row (1906)	John B. Lowitz	John E. Hazzard (words) May Irwin (perf.)
Don't Argify (1907)	John B. Lowitz(w&m)	May Irwin (perf.)
Brand-New! (1912)	Cecil Mack	Chris Smith (words) May Irwin (perf.)
Matrimony (1906)	William J. McKenna	George V Hobart (words) May Irwin (perf.)
She Borrowed My Only Husband (1907)	William J. McKenna	May Irwin (words) May Irwin (perf.)
If I Only Had a Job (1898)	James B. Mullen	Webster E Browning (words) May Irwin (perf.)
⇑While the Leaves Came Drifting Down (1898)	Hattie Nevada(w&m)	May Irwin (perf.)
I've Waited Honey Waited Long For You (1899)	George A. Nichols	Ray Bailey (words) Dave Genaro (words) John P. Curran (perf.) May Irwin (perf.) Rose Melville (perf.)
Spanish Coon (1904), The	George A. Nichols	Mark Beam (words) May Irwin (perf.)
My Little Jungle Queen (1900)	Theodore H. Northrup	Ernest Hogan (co-author) May Irwin (words) James O'Dea (words) May Irwin (perf.)
Kellys Are at It Again (1913), The	Jack Norworth	Harry Williams (words) May Irwin (perf.)
That Todelo Tune (1910)	Al Piantadosi	May Irwin (perf.)
He Said He Was a Friend of Mine (1906)	Charles Robinson	May Irwin (perf.)
Tennessee (1905)	Jean Schwartz	Harry Williams (words) May Irwin (perf.)
He Cert'ny Was Good to Me (1898)	Alfred Baldwin Sloane	Jean C. Havez (words) May Irwin (perf.)
When You Ain't Got No Money (1898)	Alfred Baldwin Sloane	Clarence S. Brewster (words) May Irwin (perf.)
Now I'se Got Some Money, Well I'm Coming 'rounf (1899)	Alfred Baldwin Sloane	Frank Sloane (words) May Irwin (perf.)
⇑Nobody Has More Trouble Than Me (1905)	Chris Smith	May Irwin (perf.)
Ta'int De Kind O' Grub I've Been Gettin' Down Home (1905)	Chris Smith	May Irwin (perf.)
Moses Andrew Jackson, Good-Bye (1906)	Ted Snyder	Ren Shields (words) May Irwin (perf.)
That Opera Rag (1910)	Ted Snyder	Irving Berlin (words) May Irwin (perf.)
Eight Little Letters Make Three Little Words I Love You (1911)	Ted Snyder	Bert Kalmar (words) May Irwin (perf.)
I Just Can't Help Loving That Man (1902)	Harry von Tilzer	Andrew B. Sterling (words) Vincent Bryan (words) May Irwin (perf.) Geo. J. Stanley (perf.) Tascot (perf.)
May Irwin's Bully Song (1896)	Charles E. Trevathan(w&m)	May Irwin (perf.)
May Irwin's Frog Song (1896)	Charles E. Trevathan(w&m)	May Irwin (perf.)
Crappy Dan (1897)	Charles E. Trevathan(w&m)	May Irwin (perf.)
Honey on My Lips (1898)	Charles E. Trevathan	Reginald De Koven (words) May Irwin (perf.)
Syncopated Sandy (1897)	Ned Wayburn(w&m)	Stanley Whiting (co-author) May Irwin (perf.)
⇑Buzzin' the Bee (1916)	Jack Wells(w&m)	May Irwin (perf.)

Works

This list is arranged in chronological order and contains 13 works by May Irwin (1862-1938). It does not claim to be complete and represents only the number of items located. Keys: ER

(w&m)

Title	Year	Attribution	Remarks


Mamie! Come Kiss Your Honey Boy (w&m)	1893	May Irwin (perf.) Len Spencer (perf.)
Live Humble (w&m)	1894
Mandy (w&m)	1894		Pub.
New Bully, The	1896	Midi Ragtime Recorder Ensemble (perf.) arr. Theodore F. Morse
My Baby, I'll Go Too	1897		Pub.
New Love's Come to Stay, The (w&m)	1897		Pub.
I'm Worried to Death About That (w&m)	1904
Taint No Sense in Loving Dat Way (w&m)	1904		Pub.
Dan	1906	Earle C. Jones (words)
Dreaming	1906	John E. Hazzard (words) May Irwin (perf.)
May Irwin's Ragtime Dance	1906	Midi Ragtime Recorder Ensemble (perf.)	Pub.
⇑ May Irwin's Ragtime Dance - Song (w&m)	1906		Pub.
She Borrowed My Only Husband and Forgot to Bring Him Back	1907	William J McKenna (words) Ada Jones (perf.)

Videos

	Composer	Title	Performer


W.J. McKenna	Matrimony (1907) (3:13)	M. Irwin
A.B. Sloane	When You Ain't Got No Money (1898) (4:38)	M. Irwin
C.E. Trevathan	Bully Song (3:34)	M. Irwin