- Jan 3 Joyce Collins, American jazz and film and television session pianist, singer, and educator, dies at 79
- Jan 4 Sandro, Argentine songwriter (b. 1945)
- Jan 5 Willie Mitchell, American R&B, pop, and soul singer, songwriter, producer, and arranger, dies of a heart attack at 81
- Jan 6 Shelly Kurland, American educator, classically trained session violinist and string arranger for country music recordings (Shelly Kurland Strings), dies at 81
- Jan 10 Mano Solo [Emmanuel Cabut], French singer, dies from multiple aneurisms at 46
- Jan 11 Georgy Garanian, Armenian-Russian jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer, dies of cardiac arrest at 75
- Jan 11 Mick Green, British rock guitarist (The Pirates; Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas), dies of heart failure at 65
- Jan 13 Jay Reatard [James Lindsey], American garage rock-punk musician and songwriter, dies of cocaine toxicity at 29
- Jan 13 Theodore "Teddy" Pendergrass, American soul singer (Turn Off the Lights), dies of respiratory failure at 59
- Jan 18 Kate McGarrigle, Canadian folk music singer-songwriter (Kate & Anna McGarrigle - "Heartbeats Accelerating"), dies of clear-cell sarcoma at 63
- Jan 21 Paul Quarrington, Canadian novelist, playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker, musician and educator (b. 1953)
- Jan 22 James Mitchell, American dancer and actor (All My Children, Bloomer Girl), dies of pneumonia at 89
- Jan 31 Jürg Baur, German composer, dies at 91
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers