- May 1 Lacy Gibson, American Chicago-style blues guitarist, singer and songwriter ("Switchy Titchy"), born in Salisbury, North Carolina (d. 2011)
- May 2 Engelbert Humperdinck [Arnold George Dorsey], British pop singer ("Release Me"; "After The Loving"), born in Madras, British India
- May 2 Michael Rabin, American violinist (In Memorium), born in New York City (d. 1972)
- May 5 Patrick Gowers, British choral and film score composer (Viri Galilaei; Hamlet; Smiley's People), born in Islington, England (d. 2014)
- May 7 Cornelius Cardew, British composer (Scratch Orchestra), born in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire (d. 1981)
- May 7 Jimmy Ruffin, American soul singer ("What Becomes of the Brokenhearted"), born in Collinsville, Mississippi (d. 2014)
- May 11 Carla Bley [Lovella Borg], American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer (Escalator Over The Hill; Fictitious Sports), born in Oakland, California (d. 2023) [1]
- May 12 David Snell, British jazz harpist and conductor, born in Grantham, Lincolnshire, England
- May 12 Klaus Doldinger, German jazz saxophonist (Passport) and composer for film, born in Berlin, Germany
- May 14 Bobby Darin [Walden Robert Cassotto], American singer ("Mack the Knife"; "Splish-Splash"; "Beyond The Sea"), born in The Bronx, New York (d. 1973)
- May 14 Charlie Gracie [Graci], American rock pioneer, rhythm and blues singer, and guitarist ("Butterfly"; "Fabulous"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2022) [1]
- May 15 Anna Maria Alberghetti, Italian-American Tony Award-winning stage singer and actress (Carnival), and film star (Cinderfella), born in Pesaro, Italy
- May 15 Jean Balissat, Swiss composer pedagogue and conductor (Kaleidoscope for trumpet and percussion), born in Lausanne, Switzerland (d. 2007)
- May 17 Philippe Boesmans, Belgian pianist, and composer (Upon La-Mi; Reigen), born in Tongeren, Belgium
- May 22 Toshiaki Tsushima, Japanese film score composer, born in Okayama Prefecture, Japan (d. 2013)
- May 23 Ingeborg Hallstein, German soprano opera singer (Bavarian State Opera, 1961-73), born in Munich, Germany
- May 24 Harold Budd, American avant-garde ambient pianist and composer (The Pavilion of Dreams), born in Los Angeles (d. 2020) [1]
- May 25 Tom T. Hall, American country singer, songwriter ("Harper Valley PTA"), and author, born in Olive Hill, Kentucky (d. 2021)
- May 28 Maki Ishii, Japanese composer, born in Tokyo (d. 2003)
About May 1936
How Old? 87 or 88 years old
Generation: Silent Generation
Leap Year: Yes
Country Singers
Jazz Musicians
Opera Singers
Pop Stars
Rappers
Rockers