- May 9 Turner Stephen Bruton, American country songwriter and musician (Crazy Heart), dies of throat cancer at 59
- May 12 Antonio Vega, Spanish pop-rock singer-songwriter, dies of lung cancer at 51
- May 15 Wayman Tisdale, American basketball player and smooth jazz bassist, dies from the effects of cancer at 44
- May 18 Dolla [Roderick Anthony Burton II], American rapper, dies at21
- May 19 Nicholas Maw, British composer, dies at 73
- May 24 Jay Bennett, American guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and singer-songwriter (Wilco, 1994-2001), dies of an accidental overdose of prescription painkiller Fentanyl at 46
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers