- Jan 1 Xavier Cugat, Spanish American bandleader (married Abbe Lane, and Charo), born in Girona, Catalonia (d. 1990)
- Jan 3 Maurice Jaubert, French composer, born in Nice, France (d. 1940)
- Jan 6 Pierre-Octave Ferroud, French composer (Sarabande, Jeunesse), born in Chasselay, Rhône, France (d. 1936)
- Jan 7 John Brownlee, Australian operatic baritone (Metropolitan Opera, 1937-57), born in Geelong, Victoria (d. 1969)
- Jan 9 Joseph Frederick Wagner, American conductor and composer, born in Springfield, Massachusetts (d. 1974)
- Jan 11 Wilbur De Paris, American swing and Dixieland jazz trombone player, born in Crawfordsville, Indiana (d. 1973)
- Jan 12 Vaino Hannikainen, Finnish composer, born in Jyväskylä, Finland (d. 1960)
- Jan 13 Yasuji Kiyose, Japanese composer, born in Yokkaichi, Oita Prefecture, Japan (d. 1981)
- Jan 20 Boris Semyonovich Shekhter, Russian composer, born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1961)
- Jan 22 Franz Salmhofer, Austrian conductor (Vienna State Opera, 1945-54), and composer (mostly of ballet and opera), born in Vienna (d. 1975)
- Jan 22 Juan Tizol, Puerto Rican jazz trombonist (Duke Ellington), and composer ("Caravan"; "Perdido"), born in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico (d. 1984)
- Jan 23 William Ifor Jones, Welsh conductor and organist, born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales (d. 1988)
- Jan 26 Karl Ristenpart, German conductor, born in Kiel, Germany (d. 1967)
- Jan 28 Michael Head, British organist, pianist, and composer, born in Eastbourne, England (d. 1976)
- Jan 29 Marco Tajcevic, Serbian composer, born in Osijek, Austria-Hungry (d. 1984)
- Jan 30 Isaak Iosifovich Dunayevsky, Soviet operetta & film composer, born in Lokhvitsa, Russian Empire (d. 1955)
About January 1900
How Old? 124 years old
Generation: Lost Generation
Leap Year: No
Country Singers
Jazz Musicians
Opera Singers
Pop Stars
Rappers
Rockers