- Jan 1 Jess Stacy, American jazz pianist (Benny Goodman, 1935-39; the Great Gatsby), dies at 90
- Jan 1 Ted Hawkins, American singer and guitarist (The Next Hundred Years), dies of a stroke at 58
- Jan 3 Al Duncan, American blues drummer, dies at 68
- Jan 4 Eduardo Mata, Mexican conductor (Improvisaciones), dies in air crash at 52
- Jan 4 Leonard Hirsch, British violinist and conductor (BBC Empire Orchestra), dies at 92
- Jan 5 Francis Lopez, Basque-French chanson and operetta composer (La Belle de Cadiz; Andalousie; The Three Musketeers), dies at 78
- Jan 6 James Clay, American jazz tenor saxophonist, dies at 59
- Jan 7 Arthur Leavins, British violinist, dies at 77
- Jan 10 Fred Böhler, Swiss jazz bandleader, pianist, and early proponent of the Hammond organ, dies at 82
- Jan 11 Josef Gingold, Russian-American violinist (Primrose Quartet; Cleveland Orchestra, 1947-60) and pedagogue (Indiana University, 1960-95), dies following a heart attack at 85
- Jan 14 Alexander Gibson, British conductor and founder of the Scottish Opera, dies at 68
- Jan 14 Ruby Starr [Constance Henrietta Mierzwiak], American rock singer (Black Oak Arkansas), dies of a brain tumor at 44
- Jan 15 Sollie McElroy, American R&B singer (The Flamingos. 1953-54 - "Golden Teardrops"), dies at 61
- Jan 16 William Dillard, American jazz trumpeter and Broadway singer dies from complications of Lupus, at 83 [1]
- Jan 18 Charles Baskerville, American pop vocalist (Shep and the Limelites - "Daddy's Home"), dies at 54
- Jan 19 Gene MacLellan, Canadian singer-songwriter ("Snowbird"; "Put Your Hand in the Hand"), takes his own life at 56
- Jan 22 Christopher Francis Palmer, British composer, orchestrator, and musicologist, dies of AIDS complications 48
- Jan 23 Bill Horton, American doo-wop singer (The Silhouettes - "Get A Job"), dies at 65
- Jan 24 David Cole, American songwriter ( C+C Music Factory - "Gonna Make You Sweat"), and record producer (Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, James Brown), dies at 32
- Jan 26 Geoffrey Parsons, Australian piano accompanist, dies at 65
- Jan 27 Geoffrey Parsons, Australian-British concert pianist, accompanist, and harpsichord player. dies of cancer at 65
- Jan 29 Chris de Marigny, British dance administrator, dies at 52
- Jan 29 Kuldar Sink, Estonian composer, dies at 52
- Jan 30 George James, American jazz saxophonist, dies at 88
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers