May 2003 in Music History

Events in Music

  • May 24 48th Eurovision Song Contest: Sertab Erener for Turkey wins singing "Everyway That I Can" in Riga

Music Concert

May 24 Paul McCartney performs in his first-ever concert in Russia, in Moscow's Red Square, to a crowd of over 100,000 people


Birthdays in Music

  • May 19 JoJo Siwa, American dancer, singer and YouTube personality, born in Omaha, Nebraska

Weddings in Music

  • May 10 "Broadway" singer-actress Carol Channing (82) weds Harry Kullijian at Big Valley Grace Community Church in Modesto, California

Deaths in Music

  • May 2 George Wyle [Bernard Weissman], American composer ("The Ballad of Gilligan's Island"; "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"), and orchestra leader (The Flip Wilson Show), dies at 87
  • May 5 David Lewin, American composer, dies at 69
  • May 11 Noel Redding, English bassist (The Jimi Hendrix Experience - "Purple Haze"), dies from cirrhosis of the liver at 57

June Carter CashJune Carter Cash (1929-2003)

May 15 American Grammy Award-winning country singer (The Carter Family; Johnny Cash Show), songwriter ("Ring Of Fire"), and actress, dies from complications after heart valve replacement surgery at 73

  • May 23 Csaba Szabo. Hungarian composer, dies at 67
  • May 23 Edward Boguslawski, Polish composer, dies at 62
  • May 25 Jeremy Michael Ward, American musician (The Mars Volta), dies of a heroin overdose at 27
  • May 27 Luciano Berio, Italian composer (Chemins), dies at 77
  • May 28 Janet Collins, American ballerina, choreographer, and teacher, dies at 86
  • May 30 Mickie Most [Michael Hayes], British record producer (Herman's Hermits; The Nashville Teens; Donovan; Lulu), dies of stomach cancer at 64