- Jan 1 Angela Winbush, American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, musician and record producer (René & Angela - "Your Smile"), born in St. Louis, Missouri
- Jan 4 Kathy Forester, American country singer (Forester Sisters - "Mama's Never Seen Those Eyes"), born in Lookout Mountain, Georgia
- Jan 4 Mark Hollis, British synth-pop musician (Talk Talk), born in London, England (d. 2019)
- Jan 7 Bruce Kaphan, American recording engineer, composer, session (American Music Club) and new age music (Hybrid) pedal steel guitar player, born in San Francisco, California
- Jan 8 Mike Reno [Ryanoski], Canadian rock vocalist (Loverboy - "Working For The Weekend"), born in New Westminster, British Columbia
- Jan 10 Jimmy Vivino, American guitarist (Reckless Sleepers; Max Weinberg 7; Fab Faux), and music director (Conan O'Brien's Basic Cable Band), born in Paterson, New Jersey
- Jan 10 Michael Schenker, German heavy metal guitarist (MSG; UFO; Scorpions), born in Sarstedt, Germany
- Jan 13 Fred White, American drummer (Earth Wind & Fire, 1974-84 - "Shining Star"; "September"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2023)
- Jan 13 Paul Kelly, Australian singer-songwriter (The Messengers), born in Adelaide, South Australia
- Jan 13 Trevor Rabin, South African-American rock guitarist (Yes, 1983-94 - "Owner Of A Lonely Heart"), and film score composer (National Treasure), born in Johannesburg, South Africa
- Jan 17 Kazumasa Akiyama, Japanese jazz-fusion guitarist (Dig My Style), born in Tokyo, Japan
- Jan 17 Steve Earle, American roots-rock singer-songwriter (Guitar Town), born in San Antonio, Texas
- Jan 18 Frankie Knuckles [Francis Warren Nicholls, Jr.], American DJ and record producer who popularized house music in Chicago during the 1980s, born in The Bronx, New York (d. 2014)
- Jan 19 Simon Rattle, English orchestra conductor (Birmingham Symphony Orchestra), born in Liverpool, England
- Jan 20 Hiromi Ōta, Japanese pop singer (Momen no handkerchief), born in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
- Jan 23 Reginald Calloway, American trumpet player (Midnight Star - "No Parking On The Dance Floor"; "Operator"), born in Cincinnati, Ohio
Eddie Van Halen (1955-2020)
Jan 26 Dutch-American rock guitarist (Van Halen - "You Really Got Me"; "Jump"), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Jan 26 Lucia Mendez, Mexican actress and singer (Lucia es Luna Moreno), born in León, Guanajuato, Mexico
- Jan 27 Richard Young, American country singer (Kentucky Headhunters - "Davy Crockett"), born in Glasgow, Kentucky
- Jan 28 Dan Higgins, American session saxophone and woodwind player, born in Boston, Massachusetts
About January 1955
How Old? 69 years old
Generation: Baby Boomer
Leap Year: No
Chinese Zodiac: Horse (Jan 1 - Jan 23), Goat/Sheep (Jan 24 - Jan 31)
Star Signs: Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19), Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18)
Country Singers
Jazz Musicians
Opera Singers
Pop Stars
Rappers
Rockers