Events in Music
- May 1 "Ben Franklin in Paris" closes at Lunt Fontanne NYC after 215 performances
- May 2 Roger Sessions' 8th Symphony premiers in New York City with William Steinberg conducting the New York Philharmonic
Album Release
May 6 Columbia Records releases "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison", the first live album by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, recorded in January 1968
Music Single
May 11 Irish actor Richard Harris releases single "MacArthur Park"; it becomes a million-seller topping the charts in Canada and Australia, and peaking at #2 in US and #4 in UK
- May 14 Beatles announce formation of Apple Corp
Wonderwall
May 15 "Wonderwall" with music by George Harrison, premieres at Cannes Film Festival
TV Show Appearance
May 15 Paul McCartney & John Lennon appear on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson", to promote Apple Records, Joe Garagiola is substitute host
- May 21 Paul McCartney and girlfriend Jane Asher attend an Andy Williams concert
- May 23 Beatles open 2nd Apple Boutique at 161 New Kings Road, London
Music History
May 24 Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull arrested for drug possession in England
Birthdays in Music
- May 1 D'arcy Wretzky, American rock bassist (The Smashing Pumpkins), born in South Haven, Michigan
- May 1 Mark Scott, American rock drummer (Trixter - "Give It To Me Good"), born in Paramus, New Jersey
- May 2 Ziana Zain, Malaysian singer and actress, born in Merlimau, Malacca, Malaysia
- May 3 Jay Darlington, English keyboardist (Kula Shaker), born in London
- May 3 Shane Minor, American country music singer, born in Modesto, California
- May 4 Julian Barratt, English comedian and musician, one half of The Mighty Boosh, born in Leeds, England
- May 6 Lætitia Sadier, French singer (Stereolab), born in Vincennes, France
- May 7 Eagle Eye Cherry, Swedish pop rock singer-songwriter ("Save Tonight"), born in Stockholm, Sweden
- May 8 Chris Lighty, music executive and manager (Violator), born in The Bronx New York (d. 2012)
- May 11 Sławomir Dobrzański, Polish concert pianist and music professor, born in Wrocław, Poland
- May 13 PMD [Parrish J. Smith], American rapper (EPMD), from Brentwood, New York
- May 15 Seth Putnam, American hard-core punk vocalist and songwriter, born in Newton, Massachusetts (d. 2011)
- May 16 Andrew Nethsingha, British organist, choral conductor, and music director (St John's College, Cambridge, 2007-), born in Exeter, England
- May 16 Patrick Waite, British reggae-rock bassist (Musical Youth - "Pass the Dutchie"), born in Birmingham, England (d. 1993)
- May 16 Ralph Tresvant, American singer (New Edition), born in Boston, Massachusetts
- May 17 Dave Abbruzzese, American drummer (Pearl Jam), born in Stamford, Connecticut
- May 21 Julie Vega, Filipina child actress and singer, born in Quezon City, Philippines (d. 1985)
Kylie Minogue (55 years old)
May 28 Australian pop singer-songwriter ("Can't Get You Out of My Head"), and actress, born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- May 30 Tim Burgess, English rock vocalist (Charlatans - "Only One I Know"), born in Salford, Lancashire, England
Weddings in Music
Pete Townshend
May 20 "The Who" guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend (23) weds Karen Astley in England
Deaths in Music
- May 3 Leonid Sabaneyev, Russian composer, dies at 86
- May 23 Merle Kendrick, orchestra leader (Window on the World), dies at 72
- May 24 Bernard Rogers, American composer (The Warrior; Three Japanese Dances; To The Fallen), and pedagogue (Eastman School, 1929-67),, dies at 75
- May 26 William "Little Willie" John, American R&B singer ("Fever"; "Leave My Kitten Alone"), dies in prison while serving a sentence for manslaughter at 30
Country Singers
Jazz Musicians
Opera Singers
Pop Stars
Rappers
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