May Singhi Breen
May Singhi Breen (Radio’s Ukulele Lady) 1891–1970
The ukulele would not have reached such high levels of popularity if it weren’t for the efforts of May Singhi Breen. The daughter of a New York builder and pianist, Breen played the piano and the banjo, with which she made her radio debut in 1923. Breen was not initially drawn to the ukulele, having tried to exchange one she had been given as a gift before learning to play it. She very quickly became an advocate for the ukulele on and off the air. Breen published many ukulele method and songbooks as well as being an active ukulele teacher, offering private and group lessons. She even recorded “Ukulele Lessons” which allowed her to reach a larger number of students. After ukulele arrangements began to be regularly included in songs, Breen’s ukulele arrangements and tabs appeared extensively on hundreds of pieces of sheet music. May Singhi Breen fiercely advocated for the ukulele as a serious musical instrument, meeting resistance from the American Federation of Musicians when her 1931 application membership was denied because “ the ukulele was not a musical instrument”.
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Tranquada, Jim, and John King. The Ukulele: A History. University of Hawai’i Press, 2012.