- Jan 1 Hagood Hardy, American-Canadian jazz and easy listening pianist, vibraphonist and film score composer ("The Homecoming"), dies from lymphoma at 59
- Jan 1 Townes Van Zandt, American singer-songwriter ("Pancho and Lefty"), dies of a heart attack at 52
- Jan 2 Randy California, American rock guitarist, dies at 45
- Jan 3 Burton Lane, American film and stage composer and lyricist (Finian's Rainbow), dies at 84
- Jan 3 Cornelius Kee, Dutch organist and composer, dies at 96
- Jan 3 David Kraehenbuehl, American composer (March of the Trolls), pianist, teacher (Yale), and music theorist (Journal of Music Theory), dies of a heart attack at 73
- Jan 3 Roger Goeb, American composer, dies at 82
- Jan 7 Sándor Végh, Hungarian-French violinist teacher and conductor, dies at 84
- Jan 8 Carole Carr [Carless], British singer and actress (Down Among the Z Men), dies of cancer at 68
- Jan 8 George Handy [Hendleman], American bebop jazz arranger, pianist and composer Handyland, U.S.A.), dies at 76
- Jan 10 Alvinio Misciano, Italian tenor, killed in a fall from a window
- Jan 11 Cavan O'Connor, British singer ("I'm Only a Strolling Vagabond"), dies at 97
- Jan 16 Charlie Alfred Galbraith, English jazz trombonist, dies at 76
- Jan 18 Myfanwy Piper, British librettist and art critic, dies at 85
- Jan 22 Billy MacKenzie, Scottish rock vocalist (The Associates-Affectionate Punch), committed suicide at 39
- Jan 22 Irwin Levine, composer (Tie a Yellow Ribbon), dies at 58
- Jan 22 Ron Holden, American singer (b. 1939)
- Jan 22 Wally Whyton, English musician and broadcaster (BBC 2), dies at 66
- Jan 23 Audie Pitre, American bass guitarist (Acid Bath), killed by a drunk driver at 26
- Jan 23 Charles Craig, English opera singer, dies at 77
- Jan 23 Richard Berry, African-American singer and musician (Louie Louie), dies at 61
- Jan 25 Seldon Powell, American jazz tenor saxophonist and flautist, dies at 68
- Jan 27 Gerald Marks, American songwriter ("All of Me"), dies at 96
- Jan 30 Héctor Campos Parsi, Puerto Rican classical music composer, dies at 75
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers