Birthdays in Music
- May 5 Edward "Kidd" Jordan, American jazz saxophonist and music educator, born in Crowley, New Orleans
- May 9 Nole "Nokie" Edwards, American surf-rock guitarist (The Ventures) and actor (Deadwood), born in Lahoma, Oklahoma (d. 2018)
- May 10 Henry Fambrough, American singer (The Spinners - "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love?"; "The Rubberband Man"), born in Detroit, Michigan
- May 10 Larry Williams, American R&B singer-songwriter ("Dizzy, Miss Lizzie"; "Slow Down"), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1980)
- May 11 Christopher "Kit" Lambert, British record producer and manager of The Who, born in Knightsbridge, London (d. 1981)
- May 12 Gary Peacock, American jazz bassist (Keith Jarrett Trio), born in Burley, Idaho (d. 2020)
- May 13 Dominic Cossa, American baritone, born in Jessup, Pennsylvania
- May 13 Nigel Butterley, Australian pianist, composer (The True Samaritan), educator, and radio broadcaster, born in Sydney, Australia (d. 2022) [1]
- May 13 Yizhak Sadai, Israeli composer, born in Sofia, Bulgaria (d. 2019)
- May 15 (Bruce) "Utah" Phillips, American folk singer-songwriter ("Green Rolling Hills"; "The Goodnight-Loving Trail") storyteller, poet, and labor organizer, born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 2008)
- May 15 Gordon Mills, British songwriter (Tom Jones - "It's Not Unusual"), born in Madras, India (d. 1986)
- May 21 Terry Lightfoot, British clarinetist and bandleader (New Orleans Jazzmen), born in Potters Bar, England (d. 2013)
- May 22 Barry Rogers, American jazz, salsa, and session trombonist (Eddie Palmiere; Fania All-Stars; Chaka Khan; Todd Rundgren), born in The Bronx, New York City (d. 1991)
- May 24 Valerie Capers, American jazz pianist, composer ("Sing About Love"; "Sojourner"), and educator, born in New York City
- May 27 Elias Gistelinck, Flemish composer born in Beveren Leie, Belgium
- May 27 Mal Evans, British Beatles roadie and assistant, born in Liverpool, England (d. 1976)
- May 27 Ramsey Lewis, American Grammy Award-winning jazz-pop pianist ("The In Crowd"; "Wade in the Water"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2022) [1]
- May 29 Sylvia Robinson, American singer (Mickey & Sylvia - "Love Is Strange"; solo - "Pillow Talk"), record producer, and record label executive (Sugar Hill Records), born in Harlem, New York City (d. 2011)
- May 31 Albert "Tootie" Heath, American jazz hard bop drummer (John Coltrane; Art Farmer; Jimmy Heath; Tete Montoliu, Yusef Lateef), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Deaths in Music
- May 17 Paul Dukas, French composer (The Sorcerer's Apprentice), dies at 69
- May 19 Charles Martin Tornow Loeffler, German-American violinist and composer, dies at 74
- May 29 Josef Suk, Czech violinist (Bohemian String Quartet, 1891-1933), composer (Asrael Symphony; Ripening; Serenade for Strings), and educator, dies at 61
- May 30 Lothar Windsperger, German composer and editor, dies at 49
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