May 1992 in Music History

Events in Music

Musical Finale

May 2 Allen Toussaint's musical revue "High Rollers Social & Pleasure Club" closes at the Helen Hayes Theater, NYC, after 13 performances

May 4 "I Saw the Light" single released by Wynonna (Billboard Song of the Year, 1992)

Music History

May 5 American country singer Tammy Wynette hospitalized with bile duct infection

May 9 37th Eurovision Song Contest: Linda Martin for Ireland wins singing "Why Me" in Malmo
May 10 "Hamlet" closes at Criterion Theater NYC after 45 performances

Film Premiere

May 11 Film adaptation of Mbongeni Ngema and Hugh Masakala's anti-apartheid musical "Sarafina!", starring Leleti Khumalo, Miriam Makeba, and Whoopi Goldberg, premieres at Cannes Film Festival in France

Music History

May 16 "Smells Like Nirvana" by Weird Al Yankovic hits #35

Album Release

May 19 "Some Gave All" debut album by Billy Ray Cyrus is released (Billboard Album of the Year 1993)

May 20 American rapper Tung Twista raps 597 syllables in under 60 seconds
May 31 46th Tony Awards: "Dancing at Lughnasa" (play) & "Crazy For You" (musical) win

Birthdays in Music

May 12 Malcolm David Kelley, American actor and rapper (Lost), born in Bellflower, California
May 18 Adam Melchor, American singer-songwriter (Here Goes Nothing!), born in New Jersey
May 19 Lainey Wilson, American country music singer-songwriter (Things a Man Oughta Know), born in Baskin, Louisiana
May 19 Marshmello [Chris Comstock], American DJ and producer (Silence), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 19 Sam Smith, British singer-songwriter ("Stay With Me"), born in London, England
May 21 Olivia Olson, American singer and actress (Love Actually - "Joanna"), born in Los Angeles, California
May 31 VanossGaming [Evan Fong), Canadian YouTuber and music producer, born in Toronto, Canada

Weddings in Music

Robert Downey Jr

May 29 American "Chaplin" and "Iron Man" actor Robert Downey Jr (27) weds American actress and singer Deborah Falconer (26); divorce in 2004

Paul Simon

May 30 American singer-songwriter Paul Simon (50) weds American rock singer-songwriter Edie Brickell (26)

Deaths in Music

May 1 Sharon Redd, American house music and urban contemporary singer (b. 1945)
May 2 Joey Cuevas, American movie dancer, dies at 34
May 2 Margareth Wallmann, Austrian opera director, dies at 88
May 3 Elizabeth Lennox, radio singer, dies of heart seizure at 98

Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992)

May 6 German American actress and singer (The Blue Angel, Shanghai Express), dies in Paris at 90

May 10 Joan Merrill, American pop vocalist, dies of a stroke at 74
May 10 Sylvia Syms [Blagman], American jazz and cabaret singer and actress ("I Could Have Danced All Night"; South Pacific - "Bloody May"), dies of a heart attack at 74
May 15 Barbara Lee, American pop singer (Chiffons - He's So Fine; Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?), dies at 44
May 16 Chalino Sánchez, Mexican musician, murdered at 31
May 17 Lawrence Welk, American accordionist and orchestra leader (Lawrence Welk Show), dies of pneumonia at 89
May 17 Leonardo del Ferro [Keyser], American operatic tenor, dies at 71
May 19 Hans Vogt, German composer, dies at 81
May 22 Gyorgy Ranki, Hungarian composer, dies at 84
May 23 Atahualpa Yupanqui, Argentine singer, composer, and guitarist, dies at 84
May 26 George Morrow, American jazz double-bassist (Max Roach and Clifford Brown; Sonny Rollins), dies at 66
May 29 Peter "Ollie" Halsall, British rock guitarist and vibraphone player (Patto; The Rutles; Kevin Ayers), dies of a heart attack at 43
May 29 Rudolf Alberth, German conductor, and composer, dies at 74
May 30 Leen 't Hart, Dutch organist and composer, dies at 72
May 31 Karl-Erik Welin, Swedish composer, dies at 58