- Jan 3 Ernst Mahle, German-Brazilian composer (O Garatuja), and conductor (Escola de Música de Piracicaba), born in Stuttgart, Germany
- Jan 5 Wilbert Harrison, American R&B singer ("Kansas City"; "Let's Work Together"), born in Charlotte, North Carolina (d. 1994)
- Jan 10 Derek Hammond-Stroud, English operatic baritone, born in London (d. 2012)
- Jan 11 Wanda Wilkomirska, Polish violinist, born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 2018)
- Jan 13 Joe Pass [Passalaqua], American jazz guitarist ("The Trio" with Oscar Peterson; Ella Fitzgerald) and composer, born in New Brunswick, New Jersey (d. 1994)
- Jan 14 Billy Walker, American country music singer and guitarist ("Charlie's Shoes"), born in Ralls, Texas (d. 2006)
- Jan 15 "Queen" Ida [Lewis], Louisiana Creole accordionist, born in Lake Charles, Louisiana
- Jan 15 Eva Badura-Skoda, German-Austrian musicologist (Mozart-Interpretation), born in Munich, Germany (d. 2021)
- Jan 15 Teizo Matsumura, Japanese composer ("Chinmoku / Silence"; "Hymn to Aurora") and haiku poet, born in Kyoto, Japan (d. 2007)
- Jan 16 Tage Nielsen, Danish composer, born in Frederiksberg, Denmark (d. 2003)
- Jan 17 Grady Martin, country music guitarist (The Nashville A-Team), born in Chapel Hill, Tennessee (d. 2001)
- Jan 20 (Wilbur) Jimmy Cobb, American jazz drummer (Miles Davis' First Great Sextet), born in Washington D.C. (d. 2020)
- Jan 22 (Elijah) Doug Quattlebaum, American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter (Softee Man Blues), born in Florence, South Carolina (d. 1996)
- Jan 22 Ron Richards, British record producer (Gerry and The Pacemakers; The Hollies), born in London (d. 2009)
- Jan 25 Benny Golson, American jazz tenor saxophonist, arranger, and composer ("I Remember Clifford"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Jan 28 (Bernard) "Acker" Bilk, British clarinetist who was part of the traditional jazz revival of the 1950s and 1960s, born in Pensford, Somerset, England (d. 2014)
About January 1929
How Old? 95 years old
Generation: Silent Generation
Leap Year: No
Country Singers
Jazz Musicians
Opera Singers
Pop Stars
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