Events in Music
#1 in the Charts
May 5 "West Side Story" soundtrack album goes #1 & stays #1 for 54 weeks which is more than 20 weeks longer than any other album
Rita Moreno
Jerome Robbins
Music Premiere
May 8 Stephen Sondheim's musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" starring Zero Mostel and Jack Gilford, and directed by George Abbott, opens at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 965 performances, and wins 6 Tony Awards
Stephen Sondheim
- May 9 The Beatles sign their 1st contract with EMI Parlophone
- May 19 "Bravo, Giovanni" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 76 performances
- May 19 "John Birch Society" by Chad Mitchell Trio hits #99
- May 25 Isley Brothers release "Twist & Shout"
- May 26 "All American" closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 80 performances
TV Show Appearance
May 29 Barbra Streisand appears on "The Garry Moore Show"
Barbra Streisand
- May 29 4th Grammy Awards: Moon River, Peter Nero win
Event of Interest
May 30 Benjamin Britten's "War Requiem" premieres
Benjamin Britten
Birthdays in Music
- May 4 Oleta Adams, American soul singer and pianist, born in Seattle, Washington
- May 5 Jenifer McKitrick, American songwriter ("Mine, Mine, Mine"), born in Defiance, Ohio
- May 5 Gary Daly, British new wave rock keyboardist, singer, and songwriter (China Crisis - "Wishful Thinking"), born in Liverpool, England
- May 5 Kevin Mooney, British rock bassist (Adam & The Ants - "Ant Music"; "Goody Two Shoes"), born in Greenwich, London, England
- May 6 Stan Cullimore, British guitarist (Housemartins, "Happy Hour"; "Caravan Of Love"), journalist, and music educator, born in Kingston upon Hull, Englan
- May 6 Adam Yellin, American record producer
- May 9 Dave Gahan, British new wave rock vocalist (Depeche Mode - "Dreaming of Me"), born in Essex, England
- May 9 John Corbett, American actor (Northern Exposure - "Chris Stevens"; Sex and the City - Aidan; My Big Fat Greek Wedding), and country music singer, born in Wheeling, West Virginia
- May 9 Paul Heaton, English singer-songwriter (Housemartins), born in Bromborough, England
- May 10 Garry Daley, keyboard (China Crisis-Christian)
- May 11 Emmanuelle Haïm, French harpsichordist, and conductor (Le Concert d'Astrée, 2000-present), born in Paris, France
- May 12 Brett Gurewitz, American guitarist and songwriter (Bad Religion), record label owner, and producer (Epitaph), born in Los Angeles, California
- May 14 C. C. DeVille, American rocker (Poison - "Talk Dirty to Me"), born in Brooklyn, New York
- May 14 Ian Astbury, British-Canadian rock singer and songwriter (The Cult - "Fire Woman"), born in Heswall, Cheshire, England
- May 17 Tracey Bryn, American alt-rock vocalist (Voice of the Beehive - "Don't Call Me Baby; "I Think I Love You"), born in Encino, California
- May 18 (Marianne) "Nanne" Grönvall (nee Nordqvist), Swedish pop singer and songwriter, born in Stockholm, Sweden
- May 18 Sandra Cretu, German singer (Close to Seven), born in Saarbrücken, Germany
- May 19 Iain Harvie, Scottish rock guitarist (Nothing Ever Happens)
- May 20 Ralph Peterson Jr., American jazz drummer (Jazz Messengers; Fo'tet), and educator (Berklee), born in Pleasantville, New Jersey (d. 2021) [1]
- May 23 Franca Masu, Italian jazz and world music singer-songwriter, born in Alghero, Sardinia, Italy
- May 26 Colin Vearncombe, singer-songwriter (Black - "Wonderful Life"), born in Liverpool, Merseyside (d. 2016)
- May 31 Corey Hart, Canadian rock vocalist ("Sunglasses At Night"), born in Montreal, Quebec
