Adam Yauch (1964-2012)
May 4 American rap-rock vocalist (Beastie Boys -"(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)"), dies from cancer at 47
- May 4 Mort Lindsey [Lippman], American pianist, arranger, musical director (Judy Garland, 1961-64; Merv Griffin Show, 1962-86; Barbra Streisand, 1968), and composer, dies at 89
- May 5 "Sweet Joe" Russell, American a cappella singer (The Persuasions - "Slip Sliding Away"), dies at 72 [1]
- May 13 Donald "Duck" Dunn, American bassist (Booker T & The MG's; Stax Records house band; The Blues Brothers), dies at 70
- May 14 Derek Hammond-Stroud, English operatic baritone, dies at 86
- May 16 Doug Dillard, American country rock musician (The Dillards, Gene Clark, Dillard & Clark) and actor (Clem-Popeye), dies of a lung infection caused by a collapsed lung at 75
Donna Summer (1948-2012)
May 17 American disco and pop singer-songwriter ("Love to Love You, Baby"; "On The Radio"; "Last Dance"), dies from lung cancer at 63
Robin Gibb (1949-2012)
May 20 English rock-pop-disco singer-songwriter and producer (Bee Gees - Saturday Night Fever), dies from colon and liver cancer at 62
- May 28 Dieter Schönbach, German composer, and music director (Bochum Theater, 1959–73), dies at 81
- May 29 (Arthel) "Doc" Watson, American Grammy Award-winning bluegrass, folk, and blues guitarist, songwriter, and singer, dies from complications following surgery at 89
- May 29 Mark Minkov, Russian/Soviet theater and film score composer, dies at 67
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
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