- Jan 3 Larry McNeeley, American bluegrass and session banjo player (The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour), born in Lafayette, Indiana
- Jan 5 Rob Quist, American country and bluegrass singer-songwriter, guitarist and banjo player (Mission Mountain Wood Band), born in Cut Bank, Montana
- Jan 5 Thom Mooney, American rock drummer (Nazz - "Open My Eyes", "Hello It's Me), born in Altoona, Pennsylvania
- Jan 7 Kaz Lux, Dutch blues-rock guitarist and singer, born in Oosterhout, Netherlands
- Jan 7 Kenny Loggins, American singer-songwriter (Loggins and Messina - "Danny's Song"; "Your Mama Don't Dance"; solo - "This Is It"; "Footloose"), born in Everett, Washington
- Jan 7 Rick Marotta, American session drummer (Carly Simon; Steely Dan; Warren Zevon), and composer, born in New York City
- Jan 9 Bill Cowsill, American singer and musician (The Cowsills - "Hair"; "The Rain, The Park, And Other Things"), born in Newport, Rhode Island (d. 2006)
- Jan 9 Cassie Gaines, American rock singer (Lynyrd Skynyrd), born in Miami, Oklahoma (d. 1977)
- Jan 9 Paul King, British rock guitarist and banjo player (Mungo Jerry, 1970-72), born in Dagenham, Essex, England
- Jan 9 Tim Hart, British folk-rock singer, guitarist, mandolin and dulcimer player (Steeleye Span, 1969-82 - "All Around My Hat"; "Gaudete"), born in Lincoln, England (d. 2009)
Donald Fagen (76 years old)
Jan 10 American rock vocalist, keyboardist, and songwriter (Steely Dan - "Reelin' In The Years"; "Deacon Blue"), born in Passaic, New Jersey
- Jan 10 Fayette Pinkney, American pop and disco singer (The Three Degrees, 1963-76 - "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)"; "When Will I See You Again?"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2009)
- Jan 10 Mischa Maisky, Latvian cellist, born in Riga, Latvia
- Jan 11 Terry Williams, Welsh rock drummer (Man; Rockpile; Dire Straits, 1982-88), born in Swansea, Wales
- Jan 12 John Etheridge, British guitarist (Soft Machine), born in Lambeth, England
- Jan 14 Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett, American musician and producer (Los Lobos; Sam Philips: BoDeans), born in St. Louis, Missouri
- Jan 15 Ronnie Van Zant, American rock musician (Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Gimme Three Steps"), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 1977)
- Jan 17 Anne Queffélec, French concert pianist, born in Paris, France
- Jan 17 Mick Taylor, British rock guitarist (John Mayhall's Bluesbreakers, 1967-69; Rolling Stones, 1969-74 - "Brown Sugar", "Honky Tonk Woman"), born in Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom
- Jan 17 Robin Lumley, English jazz-fusion keyboardist (Brand X), and record producer, born in the Devonport, England (d. 2023)
- Jan 19 Harvey Hinsley, British musician, born in Northampton, England
- Jan 20 Mel Pritchard, British progressive rock drummer (Barclay James Harvest), born in Oldham, Lancashire (d. 2004)
- Jan 22 Gilbert Levine, American orchestral conductor, born in Brooklyn, New York
- Jan 23 Anita Pointer, American pop and R&B singer (The Pointer Sisters - "He's So Shy"; "I'm So Excited"), born in Oakland, California (d. 2022)
- Jan 23 Glenn Wheatley, Australian rock bassist (The Masters Apprentices), and talent manager (Little River Band; John Farnham), born in Nambour, Queensland, Australia (d. 2022)
- Jan 24 Charlie Souza, American session and touring bass player and vocalist (Mudcrutch), born in Tampa, Florida
- Jan 24 Michael Des Barres, British rock singer (Detective; Power Station), actor (MacGyver; The New WKRP in Cincinnati), and radio DJ, born in Hove, England
- Jan 26 (Laurence) "Corky" Laing, Canadian rock drummer and songwriter (Mountain; Cork), born in Montreal, Quebec
- Jan 27 Chuck Larsen, American country-rockabilly singer and banjo player (Snuff - "Bad, Bad, Billy"), born in Oklahoma
- Jan 27 Kim Gardner, English rock bassist (Ashton, Gardner & Dyke), born in London (d. 2001)
- Jan 27 Mikhail Baryshnikov, Russian-American ballet dancer,and choreographer (American Ballet Theater), and actor (The Turning Point; Sex In The City), born in Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union (now Latvia)
- Jan 29 Dervin Gordon, British rock singer (The Equals), born in Jamaica
- Jan 29 Felice Taylor, American R&B singer (I Feel Love Comin' On), born in Richmond, California (d. 2017)
- Jan 29 Marc Singer, Canadian-American actor (V, Dallas), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
About January 1948
How Old? 76 years old
Generation: Baby Boomer
Leap Year: Yes
Country Singers
Jazz Musicians
Opera Singers
Pop Stars
Rappers
Rockers