- Oct 2 Lord Davies, British engineer and chairman (Welsh National Opera)
- Oct 2 Patrick Sky [Lynch], American musician, folk singer, songwriter, record producer, and uilleann bagpiper (Songs That Made America Famous), born in College Park, Georgia (d. 2021)
- Oct 3 Alan O'Day, American singer and songwriter ("Undercover Angel"; over 100 songs for the Muppet Babies), born in Hollywood, California (d. 2013)
- Oct 7 Dino Valenti [Chester "Chet" Powers], American rock guitarist/vocalist (Quicksilver Messenger Service), born in Danbury, Connecticut (d. 1994)
- Oct 8 Fred Cash, American soul singer (Impressions - "People Get Ready"; "It's All Right"), born in Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Oct 9 Hans Ulrich Humpert, German composer, born in Paderborn, Germany (d. 2010)
John Lennon (1940-1980)
Oct 9 British rock singer-songwriter (The Beatles - "Strawberry Fields Forever"; "Help!"; solo - "Imagine"; "Grow Old With Me"), born in Liverpool, England
- Oct 10 Mouse [Stanley Miller] American artist, notable for psychedelic rock concert poster designs and album art (Grateful Dead; Journey), born in Fresno, California
- Oct 13 (Farrell) "Pharoah" Sanders, American jazz saxophonist (John Coltrane groups; "Karma"), born in Little Rock, Arkansas (d. 2022) [1]
- Oct 13 Chris Farlowe [John Henry Deighton], British rock singer ("Out of Time"), born in London, England
Cliff Richard (83 years old)
Oct 14 English rock vocalist ("Move It"; "Living Doll"; "We Don't Talk Anymore"), born in Lucknow, British India
- Oct 18 Cynthia Weil, American songwriter ("We Got Get Out Of This Place"; "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"; "On Broadway"; "He's So Shy"), born in New York City (d. 2023) [1]
- Oct 19 Larry Chance [Figueiredo], American doo-wop vocalist (The Earls - "Remember Then"; "I Believe"), born in the Bronx, NYC (d. 2023)
- Oct 20 Kathy Kirby, English singer ("Secret Love"), born in Ilford, England (d. 2011)
- Oct 21 Manfred Mann [Michael Lubowitz], British rock keyboardist ("Mighty Quinn"; "Blinded By The Light"), born in Johannesburg, Transvaal, Union of South Africa
- Oct 23 Ellie Greenwich, American singer-songwriter ("Da Doo Ron Ron"; "Leader of the Pack"), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2009)
- Oct 23 Freddie Marsden, British rock drummer (Gerry & Pacemakers - "How Do You Do It?"; "Ferry Cross The Mersey"), born in Liverpool, England (d. 2006)
- Oct 27 Anthea Joseph, British folk music promoter, and record company publicist, born in London, England (d. 1997)
- Oct 27 Julius Eastman, American pianist, vocalist, and minimalist composer (The Holy Presence of Joan d'Arc; Gay Guerrilla), born in New York City (d. 1990)
- Oct 29 Frida Boccara, French singer, born in Casablanca, French Morocco (d. 1996)
About October 1940
How Old? 83 years old
Generation: Silent Generation
Leap Year: Yes
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers