- Jan 2 Bernard George Stevens, British composer, dies at 66
- Jan 2 Richard "Dick" Emery, British comedian & actor (Yellow Submarine, Loot, Baby Love), dies from cardio-respiratory failure at 65
- Jan 2 Harriet Parsons, American film producer (Susan Slept Here), dies at 76 of cancer
- Jan 7 August Cool, Belgian trade union leader, dies at 79
- Jan 8 Gale Page, actress (4 Daughters, Knute Rockney), dies of cancer at 72
- Jan 8 Lois Wilson, actress (Alice-Aldrich Family), dies at 88
- Jan 8 Tom McCall, Governor of Oregon (b. 1913)
- Jan 8 Gerhard Barkhorn, German fighter pilot (b. 1919)
- Jan 8 Ron Frazer, Australian actor (b. 1924)
- Jan 9 Stan Spence, American baseball center fielder (MLB All-Star 1942, 44, 46, 47; Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns), dies from emphysema at 67
- Jan 10 Ewan Roberts, Scottish actor (The Day of the Triffids, Five to One), dies at 68
- Jan 11 Nikolaj V Podgorny, president USSR, dies at 79
- Jan 11 Ghanshyam Das Birla, Indian industrialist and educator, dies at 88
- Jan 12 (Anthony) "Rebop" Kwaku Baah, Nigerian percussionist (traffic, 1971-74), dies of cerebral hemorrhage during a performance in Stockholm, Sweden at 38
- Jan 13 Arthur Space, actor (Doc Weaver-Lassie), dies of cancer at 74
- Jan 13 D Mack Reynolds, American writer (Amazon Planet, Once Departed), dies
- Jan 13 John McHugh, actor (Unspeakable), dies of a heart attack at 69
Meyer Lansky
Jan 15 Meyer Lansky, Polish-born American mobster known as the "Mob's Accountant", dies of lung cancer at 80
- Jan 15 Shepperd Strudwick, actor (Psychomania), dies of cancer at 75
- Jan 17 Doodles Weaver [Winstead Sheffield Weaver], American comedian (Spike Jones & City Slickers, The Zodiac Killer), commits suicide by shooting himself at 70
- Jan 17 Bill Bonthron, American athlete (world 1,500m record 3:48.8 1934), dies at 70
- Jan 18 Cedric Thorpe Davie, British composer of film scores (The Green Man; St. Andrews University), and pedagogue, dies at 69
- Jan 19 Don Costa, American composer (Hello, Dolly!), arranger, and record producer (Sinatra and Strings; My Way), dies at 57
- Jan 20 Garrincha, Brazilian footballer, dies at 49
- Jan 21 Lamar Williams, American musician (The Allman Brothers Band), dies of cancer at 34
- Jan 23 Fred Bakewell, English cricket batsman (6 Tests, top score 107; Northamptonshire), dies at 74
George Cukor
Jan 24 George Cukor, American film director (My Fair Lady; The Wizard of Oz), dies of a stroke and a heart attack at 83
- Jan 26 Paul "Bear" Bryant, American college football coach (Alabama), dies at 69
- Jan 27 Louis De Funes, French actor and writer (The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacobs), dies at 68
- Jan 27 Robert Christian, actor (Bustin' Loose), dies of cancer at 42
- Jan 28 Billy Fury [Ronald Wycherley], British rock singer ("When Will You Say I Love You"; "Halfway To Paradise") and actor (That'll Be The Day), dies of heart failure at 42
- Jan 28 Frank Forde, 15th Prime Minister of Australia (the shortest-serving prime minister in Australia's history-8 days), dies at 92
- Jan 28 "Sweet" Emma Barrett, American Dixieland jazz pianist and singer, dies at 85
- Jan 30 Joan Valerie, actress (Pier 13), dies of pneumonia
- Jan 30 Mack Reynolds, American sci-fi author (Earth War), dies at 65
- Jan 30 Alan Cunningham, British general and last High Commissioner of Palestine (1945-48), dies at 95