- May 2 David Rhodes, English guitarist (Random Hold), born in London
- May 4 Barrie Masters, British pub-rock singer (Eddie & the Hot Rods), born in Rochford, Essex, England (d. 2019)
- May 4 Sharon Jones, American soul singer (Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings), born in Augusta, Georgia (d. 2016)
- May 5 Dick Kemper, Dutch rock vocalist and bassist (Vandenberg), born in Eindhoven, Netherlands
- May 6 Brad Felt, American jazz tuba and euphonium player, composer, and bandleader, born in Royal Oak, Michigan (d. 2011)
- May 7 Anne Dudley, British classical and film composer (The Full Monty), born in Beckenham, Kent
- May 10 Bakithi Kumalo, South African session and touring bassist, and composer (Paul Simon - "Graceland"; "Call Me Al"; Mickey Hart's Planet Drum; Harry Belafonte), born in Alexandra, Johannesburg, South Africa
- May 12 Greg Phillinganes, American session and touring keyboardist, and musical director (Stevie Wonder, Toto, Michael Jackson, David Gilmour), born in Detroit, Michigan
- May 13 David Hollestelle, Dutch rock guitarist (Herman Brood & His Wild Romance), born in Hilversum, Netherlands
- May 18 James Moginie, Australian rock musician, and songwriter (Midnight Oil - "Beds Are Burning"; "Blue Sky Mine"), born in Kalamunda, Western Australia, Australia
- May 19 Martyn Ware, English rock keyboardist and songwriter (Human League, 1977-80: Heaven 17 - "Temptation"), and record producer, born in Sheffield, England
- May 22 Natasha Shneider, Russian musician (Eleven), born in Riga, Latvia (d. 2008)
- May 25 (Lincoln) "Sugar" Minott, Jamaican reggae singer (The African Brothers), born in Kingston, Jamaica (d. 2010)
- May 25 David P. Sartor, American music composer, born in Nashville, Tennessee
- May 25 Helen Terry, British pop-rock singer ("Love Lies Lost"; "Now You're Mine"), born in England
- May 29 Larry Blackmon, American singer (Cameo - Alligator Woman), born in New York City
- May 29 LaToya Jackson, American singer ("If You Feel the Funk"), and model, born in Gary, Indiana
- May 31 Bart van Poppel, Dutch bassist, guitarist, and singer (Duplex Johnson, 1980-85; Tambourine, 1987-92; The Analogues, 2014-), born in The Netherlands
- May 31 Fritz Hilpert, German electro-pop musician and sound engineer (Kraftwerk, 1987-2023), born in Amberg, West Germany
About May 1956
How Old? 67 or 68 years old
Generation: Baby Boomer
Leap Year: Yes
Country Singers
Jazz Musicians
Opera Singers
Pop Stars
Rappers
Rockers