- May 3 Dave Dudley, American country singer (Six Days on the Road), born in Spencer, Wisconsin (d. 2003)
- May 4 Maynard Ferguson, Canadian jazz trumpeter (Roulette), born in Verdun, Quebec (d. 2006)
- May 5 Marshall Grant, American bassist (Johnny Cash's Tennessee Two), born in Bryson City, North Carolina (d. 2011)
- May 8 William Jay Sydeman, American avant-garde composer, born in New York City
- May 9 Páll Pampichier Pálsson, Austrian-Icelandic composer, born in Graz, Austria (d. 1966)
- May 12 Burt Bacharach, composer (I'll Never Fall in Love Again), born in Kansas City, Missouri
- May 12 Henry Cosby, African-American songwriter, musician and producer for Motown (Tears of a Clown), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2002)
- May 14 Will "Dub" Jones, American bass singer (The Coasters - Charlie Brown), born in Shreveport, Louisiana (d. 2000)
- May 22 Roscoe Robinson, American gospel singer, born in Dermott, Arkansas
- May 23 Rosemary Clooney, American singer (Come On-a My House) and actress (White Christmas), born in Maysville, Kentucky (d. 2002)
- May 23 Jeannie Carson [Shufflebottom], British-born comedian, actress, singer and dancer (As Long as They're Happy, An Alligator Named Daisy), born in Yorkshire, England
- May 23 Pauline Julien, French Canadian singer (d. 1998)
- May 25 Frigyes Hidas, Hungarian composer, born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 2007)
- May 27 Thea Musgrave, Scottish composer (Mary Queen of Scots, Pontalba), born in Barnton, Edinburgh
- May 30 Gustav Leonhardt, Dutch harpsichordist, organist and conductor, born in 's-Graveland, Netherlands (d. 2012)
- May 31 Jacob Lateiner, pianist/professor (Juiliard), born in Havana, Cuba
About May 1928
How Old? 92 years old
Generation: Silent Generation
Leap Year: Yes