Events in Music
- May 7 "Is There Life after High School?" opens at Barrymore NYC for 12 performances
- May 9 Arthur Kopit's musical "Nine" premieres in NYC
Event of Interest
May 10 WABC NYC plays its last record (John Lennon's Imagine)

John Lennon
- May 16 "Barnum" closes at St James Theater NYC after 854 performances
- May 16 "Is There Life after High School?" closes at Barrymore after 12 performances
- May 27 "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes..." opens at Alvin NYC for 5 performances
- May 29 "I Know What Boys Like" by The Waitresses hits #62
- May 30 "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes..." closes at Alvin NYC after 5 performances
- May 31 "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" opens at Eugene O'Neill Theater NYC for 63 performances
Birthdays in Music
Cory Monteith
May 11 Cory Monteith, Canadian actor and musician (Glee, Monte Carlo), born in Calgary, Alberta (d. 2013)

Cory Monteith
Deaths in Music
- May 1 William Primrose, Scottish violist (Method for Violin & Viola), dies at 77
- May 5 Cal Tjader, American Latin jazz musician, dies at 56
- May 11 Piet van Egmond, Dutch organist & conductor (Neth Chamber Orchestra), dies at 70
- May 13 Gara Garayev [Kara Karayev], Soviet-Azerbaijani composer (Seven Beauties), dies at 64
- May 13 Renzo Rossellini, Italian composer, dies at 74
- May 26 Nanny Larsén-Todsen, Swedish opera singer, dies at 97