- May 2 Richard "Groove" Holmes, American jazz organist (Misty), born in Camden, New Jersey (d. 1991)
- May 4 Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, Russian conductor (USSR State Radio), born in Moscow, Russia
- May 7 Teresa Brewer, American pop and jazz singer (Put Another Nickel In), born in Toledo, Ohio (d. 2007)
- May 8 Charles M.Wilson, Canadian organist and composer (The Angels Of The Earth), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2019)
- May 14 Alvin Augustus Lucier Jr, composer
- May 16 Donald James Martino, composer (Noturnno-Pulitzer 1974), born in Plainfield, New Jersey
- May 17 [Walter] Dewey Redman, American jazz saxophonist, born in Fort Worth, Texas (d. 2006)
- May 18 Robert Morse, American singer and actor (Mad Men, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), born in Newton, Massachusetts
- May 19 Ruben Radica, composer
- May 19 Eric Tappy, Swiss tenor
- May 27 Kenny Price, American country singer (Walking on New Grass, Happy Tracks), born in Florence, Kentucky (d. 1987)
- May 27 Veroslav Neumann, composer
- May 28 Peter Talbot Westergaard, American composer and educator, born in Champaign, Illinois (d. 2019)
- May 31 Shirley Verrett, mezzo-soprano (Cassandra-Les Troyens), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
- May 31 Huby Heard, singer-songwriter (The God Squad), born in Hamilton, Ohio (d. 2004)
About May 1931
How Old? 89 years old
Generation: Silent Generation
Leap Year: No
Chinese Zodiac: Goat/Sheep
Star Signs: Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20), Gemini (May 21 - Jun 20)