- Jan 1 Hamish Imlach, Scottish folk-comic singer-songwriter ("Cod Liver Oil and the Orange Juice"), dies at 55
- Jan 4 Ramon Vinay, Chilean operatic tenor, dies at 83
- Jan 5 Danny White, American singer and bandleader, dies at 84
- Jan 5 Richard Versaille, tenor, dies at 63
- Jan 6 (Robert) "Chubby" Wise, American bluegrass fiddler, dies at 80
- Jan 6 Johnny Johnston, American singer and actor (Make that Spare), dies at 80
- Jan 8 (William) Mac Lance "Tiny" McCloud, musician/songwriter, dies at 52
- Jan 8 Howard Taubman, American music and theater critic, dies at 88
- Jan 11 Ike Isaacs, Burmese-English jazz guitarist, dies at 76
- Jan 14 Pamelo Mounk'a, Congolese musician, dies at 50
- Jan 15 Les Baxter, American exotica musician, orchestra leader and composer (Ritual Of The Savage, Born Again), dies at 73
- Jan 16 Marcia Davenport, American author and music critic (b. 1903)
- Jan 16 Richard Kermode, American rocker (Kozmic Blues Band), dies at 49
- Jan 17 Mostafa Sid Ahmed, Sudanese singer (b. 1953)
- Jan 17 Robert Covington, American drummer and singer, dies at 54
- Jan 18 Jos Kunst, Dutch composer, dies at 60
- Jan 20 Arley "Buster" Benton, American blues singer and guitarist, dies at 63
- Jan 20 Gerry Mulligan, American jazz baritone saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (Jazz on a Summer Day), dies of complications from a knee infection at 68
- Jan 20 Liesbeth Askonas, Austrian concert agent, dies at 82
- Jan 20 Peter Stadlen, Austrian pianist and critic, dies at 85
- Jan 25 Jonathan Larson, American composer (Rent), dies of an aortic aneurysm at 35
- Jan 25 Ruth Berghaus, German choreographer and opera director, dies at 68
- Jan 26 Henry Jay Lewis, American double-bassist and conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic 1948-65), dies of a heart attack at 63
- Jan 26 Stevie Plunder, Australian musician (b. 1963)
- Jan 30 Bob Thiele, American radio broadcaster, and record producer (John Coltrane; B.B. King), dies of kidney failure at 73
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers