- Oct 5 Dick Henry Jurgen, American swing bandleader, and songwriter ("Elmer's Tune"), dies of cancer at 85
- Oct 6 Hughie Charles, English songwriter and impresario, dies at 88
- Oct 6 Lillian Fuchs, American violist and composer, dies at 91
- Oct 6 Walter "Crash" Morgan, drummer, dies at 35
- Oct 8 Christopher Keene, American conductor and musician, dies at 48
- Oct 11 Isolde Ahlgrimm, Austrian harpsichordist, fortepianist, early music and original instrument proponent, and teacher, dies at 81
- Oct 12 Eleanor Aller, American cellist (Hollywood String Quartet), dies at 78
- Oct 13 Golfredo Corradetti, Canadian conductor, dies at 79
- Oct 19 Don Cherry, American jazz trumpeter (Ornette Coleman), dies from liver cancer at 58
- Oct 20 Raymond Rasberry, American gospel pianist, songwriter, and singer, dies at 65
- Oct 21 Maxene Andrews, American pop and sing jazz singer (The Andrews Sisters - "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"; "Rum and Coca-Cola"), dies of a heart attack at 79
- Oct 21 Shannon Hoon, American vocalist (Blind Melon), dies of a drug overdose at 28
- Oct 26 John Sangster, Australian jazz composer (The Hobbit Suite), dies at 66
- Oct 30 Brian Easdale, British orchestral and film composer (The Red Shoes; Gone To Earth), dies at 86
- Oct 30 Roland Leich, American composer, chiefly of art songs, vocal, and choral music, and educator (Carnegie Institute, 1946-76), dies at 72
- Oct 31 Alan Bush, British composer pianist and teacher, dies at 94
- Oct 31 Dr. Hepcat [Lavad Durst], American blues piano player and singer-songwriter, radio DJ and baseball broadcaster, dies at 82
- Oct 31 Lloyd Lambert, American bassist (Guitar Slim), dies at 67
- Oct 31 Lou Levy, American 'Tin Pan Alley' music publisher (Leeds Music Corp - Sammy Cahn, Adler & Ross, Bob Dylan), dies at 84
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