- Oct 3 Del Wool [Adelaide Hazelwood], American country musician, dies at 69
- Oct 10 Joe Techner, American jazz trumpeter (Elliot Lawrence Band - "Elevation"), dies at 63
- Oct 12 Carmen Cavallaro, American actor and pianist (Hollywood Canteen, Diamond Horseshoe), dies from prostate cancer at 76
- Oct 12 Franco Luambo [Makiadi], Congolese jazz and rumba guitarist, composer, and bandleader (TPOK Jazz), dies from AIDS at 51
- Oct 19 Alan Murphy, British rock session guitarist (Kate Bush), dies of pneumonia at 36
- Oct 22 Ewan MacColl [James Miller], Scottish folk singer-songwriter ("The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"), dies of complications following heart surgery at 74 [1]
- Oct 28 Henry Hall, British bandleader (BBC Dance Orchestra), dies at 91
- Oct 31 Conrad Beck, Swiss composer, dies at 88
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers