- May 2 Alan Elsdon, British jazz trumpeter, flugelhorn player (Midnite Follies Orchestra), and bandleader, dies at 81
- May 4 Ursula Mamlok, German-American avant-garde composer, and teacher, dies at 93
- May 11 David King, British graphic designer (album cover art for Jimi Hendrix and The Who), photographer (I Am King), and historian (The Commissar Vanishes), dies at 73
- May 12 Julius La Rosa, American singer (fired by Arthur Godfrey on the air), dies at 86
- May 17 Guy Clark, American folk and country singer-songwriter (Heartbroke), dies of lymphoma at 74
- May 21 Nick Menza, American musician and drummer (Megadeth), dies at 51
- May 31 Corry Brokken, Dutch pop singer (1957 Eurovision), dies at 83
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers