- May 2 John "Jo" Callis, British punk-rock songwriter and musician (The Rezillos, The Human League), born in Rotherham, England
- May 3 Christopher Cross [Geppert], American singer-songwriter (Arthur's Theme, Sailing), born in San Antonio, Texas
- May 4 Jackie Jackson [Sigmund], American rocker (Jackson 5-ABC), born in Gary, Indiana
- May 4 Colin Bass, British bassist (Camel), born in London
- May 4 Mick Mars [Robert Alan Deal], guitarist (Mötley Crüe), born in Terre Haute, Indiana (alternative date 4 April 1955)
- May 5 Rex Goh, Singaporean-Australian rock guitarist (Air Supply), born in Singapore
- May 6 Davey Johnstone, Scottish guitarist (Elton John's guitarist), born in Edinburgh, Scotland
- May 7 Carlos Alomar, Puerto Rican-American guitarist, composer, and arranger (David Bowie), born in Ponce, Puerto Rico
- May 8 Chris Frantz, American rock drummer (Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club), born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky
- May 8 Philip Bailey, rocker (Earth Wind & Fire-Shining Star, Easy Lover)
- May 9 Joy Harjo, American poet and musician (first Native American US Poet Laureate 2019-), born in Tulsa, Oklahoma
- May 10 Ron Banks, US R&B singer (Dramatics-Whatcha See is Whatcha Get)
- May 13 Paul Thompson, rock drummer (Roxy Music)
- May 14 Jay Beckenstein, American saxophonist (Spyro Gyra-Morning Dance), born in Brooklyn, New York
- May 15 Dennis Frederiksen, rocker (Toto-Roseanna, Africa), (d. 2014)
- May 16 Jonathan Richman, American musician (Modern Lovers), born in Natick, Massachusetts
- May 19 Joey Ramone [Jeffrey Hyman], lead singer of the punk rock band The Ramones (Baby I Love You)
- May 23 Judy Rodman, country singer (Girls Ride Horses Too), born in Riverside, California
- May 24 Rob Baker, Canadian rock drummer (Red Rider)
- May 25 Chuck Ruff, American rock drummer (Frankenstein), born in Reno, Nevada (d. 2011)
- May 30 Zdravko Čolić, Yugoslav-Bosnian singer, born in Sarajevo, FPR Yugoslavia
About May 1951
How Old? 69 years old
Generation: Baby Boomer
Leap Year: No