- Jan 1 Fred Milano, American doo-wop singer, member of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, dies from lung cancer at 72
- Jan 1 Yafa Yarkoni, Israeli Singer, dies after years of Alzheimer's disease at 86
- Jan 2 Ian Bargh, Canadian jazz pianist and composer, dies from lung cancer at 76
- Jan 2 Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt, American rock guitarist (Iron Butterfly), dies at 63
- Jan 3 Bob Weston, British guitarist & songwriter (Fleetwood Mac), dies from a gastrointestinal hemorrhage at 64 (body found this date)
- Jan 5 Hikaru Hayashi, Japanese pianist, conductor and composer (Onibaba), dies at 80
- Jan 6 W. Francis McBeth, American composer (Of Sailors and Whales), conductor, and pedagogue (Ouachita Baptist University, 1957-96), dies at 78
- Jan 8 Alexis Weissenberg, Bulgarian born pianist (Levintritt Prize, 1948), and composer, dies at 82
- Jan 9 Bridie Gallagher, Irish singer, dies at 87
- Jan 9 Ruth Fernandez, Puerto Rican singer and politician, dies from septic shock and pneumonia at 92
- Jan 12 Sadao Bekku, Japanese classical and film composer (Matango), dies at 89
- Jan 16 Gustav Leonhardt, Dutch harpsichordist, organist and conductor, dies at 87
- Jan 16 Jimmy Castor, American pop and funk musician (Troglodyte (Cave Man), Jimmy Castor Bunch), died of heart failure at 71
- Jan 17 Francisco Pulgar Vidal, Peruvian musicologist and composer, dies at 82
- Jan 17 Johnny Otis [Ioannis Veliotes], American R&B musician, songwriter, producer and talent scout ("Willie and the Hand Jive"; "Cupid's Boogie"), known as "the godfather of rhythm and blues", dies at 90
- Jan 19 Rudi van Dantzig, Dutch ballet dancer an choreographer (Painted Birds), dies from lymphoma at 78
Etta James (1938-2012)
Jan 20 American singer ("Roll With Me"; "At Last"), dies from leukemia at 73
- Jan 24 Patricia Neway, American opera and musical theatre singer, dies at 83
- Jan 25 Paavo Berglund, Finnish violinist and conductor (Helsinki Chamber Orchestra; Finnish RSO, 1956-72), dies at 82
- Jan 26 Clare Fischer, American musician, composer and arranger, dies at 83
- Jan 29 Camilla Williams, American operatic soprano, dies at 92
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers