- May 1 Billy Byers, American jazz trombonist and arranger, born in Los Angeles, California (d. 1996)
- May 5 Charles Rosen, American pianist and musicologist (Sonata Forms), born in New York City (d. 2012)
- May 13 Karl-Heinz Köper, German conductor, and composer (Tuba-Tabu; Pop Corn Concerto), born in Hanover, Germany (d. 2011)
- May 16 Paul Angerer, Austrian violist, violinist, conductor (Concilium Musicum Wien), harpsichordist, composer and radio host, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2017)
- May 20 David Barlow, British composer and pedagogue, born in Rothwell, England (d. 1977)
- May 20 Walter Aschaffenburg, German-American composer, born in Essen, Germany (d. 2005)
- May 24 Charles "Majeed" Greenlee, American jazz trombonist (Archie Shepp), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 1993)
- May 28 Bernhard Lewkovitch, Danish organist and composer (Tre Madrigali di Torquato Tasso), born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 2024)
- May 31 (James) "Red" Holloway, American jazz tenor saxophonist, born in Helena, Arkansas (d. 2012)
About May 1927
How Old? 96 years old
Generation: Greatest Generation
Leap Year: No
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