- May 1 Sonny James [Jimmie Loden], American pop and country music singer-songwriter, and guitarist ("Young Love"), born in Hackelburg, Alabama (d. 2016)
- May 2 (Fred Lincoln) "Link" Wray, Native American rock guitarist ("Rumble"), born in Dunn, North Carolina (d. 2005)
- May 2 Edward Levy, American composer, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2002)
- May 2 Luc Ferrari, French composer, born in Paris (d. 2005)
- May 5 (Jacqueline) "Ilene" Woods, American radio singer and actress (Disney's Cinderella), born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire (d. 2010)
- May 8 Miyoshi Umeki, Japanese-American Academy Award-winning stage and screen singer and actress (Sayonara; Flower Drum Song; Courtship of Eddie's Father - "Mrs. Livingston"), born in Otaru, Japan (d. 2007)
- May 13 Creed Taylor, American Grammy Award-winning jazz and bossa nova record producer (Stan Getz; Wes Montgomery), and label founder (Impluse!; CTI Records), born in Lynchburg, Virginia (d. 2022)
- May 13 Will Eisma, Dutch composer and violinist, born in Sungailiat, Indonesia
- May 16 Betty Carter [Lillie Mae Jones], American jazz singer and scat vocalist, born in Flint, Michigan (d. 1998)
- May 16 Osmo Lindeman, Finnish jazz pianist, film score composer, pedagogue, and electronic music pioneer, born in Helsinki, Finland (d. 1987)
- May 18 Roger Matton, Canadian composer, born in Granby, Quebec (d. 2004)
- May 19 Michael Adamis, Greek electroacoustic music composer, born in Piraeus, Greece (d. 2013)
- May 21 Charles Wadsworth, American pianist (Lincoln Center), born in Barnesville, Georgia
- May 21 Larance Marable, American jazz drummer (Charlie Haden's Quartet West; Stan Getz; Groove Holmes), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2012)
- May 22 Asher Ben-Yohanan, Israeli composer, born in Kávala, Greece (d. 2015)
- May 25 Beverly Sills [Belle Miriam Silverman], American operatic soprano, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2007)
- May 31 Kip Tyler [Elwood Smith], American rockabilly singer-songwriter, and bongo player ("Ooh Yeah Baby"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1996)
- May 31 Zoltán Aladár, Transylvanian composer, music critic and teacher (The Goat and the Three Goons), born in Homorodszentmárton, Romania (d. 1978)
About May 1929
How Old? 94 or 95 years old
Generation: Silent Generation
Leap Year: No
Country Singers
Jazz Musicians
Opera Singers
Pop Stars
Rappers
Rockers