- Jan 4 John Bennett Perry, American actor (Falcon Crest), and singer, born in Williamstown, Massachusetts
- Jan 5 Grady Thomas, American rock vocalist (Parliaments, Funkadelic, Maggot Brain), born in Newark, New Jersey
- Jan 7 Iona Brown, British violinist and conductor, born in Salisbury, England (d. 2004)
- Jan 7 Rod Hicks, American bassist (Paul Butterfield Blues Band), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2013)
- Jan 8 Little Anthony [Anthony Gourdine], American rhythm and blues singer (Little Anthony and the Imperials - "Goin' Out of My Head"), born in Brooklyn, New York
Joan Baez (83 years old)
Jan 9 American folk singer ("Diamonds & Rust"), and human rights advocate, born in Staten Island, New York
- Jan 12 "Long" John Baldry, English blues vocalist ("Don't Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll"), born in East Haddon, United Kingdom (d. 2005)
- Jan 15 Captain Beefheart [Don Van Vliet], American singer-songwriter ("Bongo Fury"; "Shiny Beast"), born in Glendale, California (d. 2010)
- Jan 17 Dame Gillian Weir, New Zealand organist, born in Martinborough, New Zealand
- Jan 18 Bobby Goldsboro, American pop and country singer-songwriter (Honey), born in Marianna, Florida
- Jan 18 David Ruffin, American soul musician and early lead singer for The Temptations ("My Girl"; "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"), born in Whynot, Mississippi (d. 1991)
- Jan 20 Pierre Lalonde, Canadian singer and television host, born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 2016)
Plácido Domingo (83 years old)
Jan 21 Spanish opera and Latin tenor, conductor and artistic director (Verdi's "Otello"), born in Madrid, Spain
- Jan 21 Richie Havens, American singer-songwriter, and guitarist who opened the Woodstock Festival ("Freedom"; "Here Comes the Sun"), born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York (d. 2013)
- Jan 23 (Perry) "Buddy" Buie, American rock songwriter, and record producer (Atlanta Rhythm Section - "So Into You"; "Imaginary Lover"), born in Marianna, Florida (d. 2015)
- Jan 24 Aaron Neville, American Grammy Award-winning R&B, soul, and pop singer, and keyboardist (Neville Brothers; "Don't Know Much"), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Jan 24 Michael Chapman, British progressive folk-rock guitarist and singer-songwriter (Looking for Eleven; Fully Qualified Survivor), born in Leeds, England (d. 2021)
Neil Diamond (83 years old)
Jan 24 American singer-songwriter ("Sweet Caroline"; "I'm A Believer"; "Solitary Man"), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Jan 27 Bobby Hutcherson, American jazz vibraphone and marimba player ("Little B's Poem"; SFJAZZ Collective), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2016)
- Jan 28 King Tubby [Osbourne Ruddock], Jamaican sound engineer and record producer, born in Kingston, Jamaica (d. 1989)
- Jan 30 Joe Terry (Terranova), American Doo-wop singer (Danny & The Juniors - "At The Hop"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2019)
- Jan 31 Jerry Scheff, American session and touring bassist (Elvis Presley, 1969 to 1977), born in Denver, Colorado
About January 1941
How Old? 83 years old
Generation: Silent Generation
Leap Year: No
Country Singers
Jazz Musicians
Opera Singers
Pop Stars
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