- Jan 3 (Gwendolyn) Dianne Brooks, American R&B, jazz, session and touring vocalist (Three Playmates - "Sugah Wooga"; solo - "Walking On My Mind"; Anne Murray), born in New Jersey (d. 2005)
- Jan 4 Jon Appleton, American electronic and electro-acoustic music composer, educator, and co-developer of the Synclavier, born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2022)
- Jan 10 Scott McKenzie, American singer (San Francisco), born in Jacksonville Beach, Florida (d. 2012)
Phil Everly (1939-2014)
Jan 19 American rock and roll singer-guitarist (The Everly Brothers - "Bye, Bye Love"; "Wake Up Little Susie"; "When WIll I Be Loved"), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Jan 23 Ray Elliott, Irish rock and jazz saxophonist, flutist, and keyboard player (Them), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland (d. 1993)
Ray Stevens (85 years old)
Jan 24 American country, pop, and novelty singer-songwriter ("Ahab the Arab"; "Everything Is Beautiful"; "The Streak"), born in Clarkdale, Georgia
- Jan 25 Tami Lynn [Gloria Brown], American soul singer ("I'm Gonna Run Away From You"), and session vocalist (Dr. John; Rolling Stones), born in Gert Town, Louisiana (d. 2020)
- Jan 26 Marshall Leib [Leibovitz], American pop singer (Teddy Bears - "To Know Him Is To Love Him"), and record producer, born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2002)
- Jan 27 Tigran Mansuryan, Armenian composer (The Tango of Our Childhood; Requiem), born in Beirut, Lebanon
- Jan 30 Norma Tanega, American folk and pop singer-songwriter, guitarist ("Walkin' My Cat Named Dog"; "You're Dead"), percussionist, and painter, born in Vallejo, California (d. 2019)
- Jan 31 Claude Gauthier, Canadian folk singer-songwriter, and actor, born in Lac-Saguay, Quebec
About January 1939
How Old? 85 years old
Generation: Silent Generation
Leap Year: No
Country Singers
Jazz Musicians
Opera Singers
Pop Stars
Rappers
Rockers