- Oct 1 Herb Fame, American pop and soul singer (Peaches & Herb - "Reunited"), born in Washington, D.C.
- Oct 4 Jenny Arean [Joanna Klarenbeek], Dutch actress, cabaret and theatre singer ("Vluchten kan niet meer"), born in Lisse, Netherlands
- Oct 5 Richard Street, American R&B musician (The Temptations, 1971-93 - "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2013)
- Oct 10 Bruce Ricker, American jazz and blues documentarian (The Last of the Blue Devils; Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser), born in Staten Island, New York (d. 2011)
- Oct 12 Daliah Lavi [Levinbuck], Israeli actress (Casino Royale; Lord Jim), and singer, born in Haifa, British Palestine (d. 2017)
- Oct 12 Melvin Franklin (né English), American R&B bass vocalist (The Temptations, 1960-94 - "Ball of Confusion"), born in Montgomery, Alabama (d. 1995)
- Oct 14 Billy Harrison, Irish rock guitarist (Them), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Oct 15 Chris Andrews, British-German songwriter (Adam Faith; Sandie Shaw), singer ("Yesterday Man"), and record producer, born in Romford, Essex, England
- Oct 16 Dave Lovelady, English drummer (The Fourmost - "A Little Loving"), born in Litherland, United Kingdom
- Oct 17 Gary Puckett, American pop vocalist (Gary Puckett & The Union Gap - "Woman, Woman"; "Lady Willpower"), born in Hibbing, Minnesota
- Oct 20 Joe Bourne, American jazz and gospel singer ("Upbeat and Sweet"), and visual artist, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Oct 21 Elvin Bishop, American blues-rock guitarist and songwriter ("Fooled Around and Fell in Love"), born in Glendale, California,
- Oct 22 Annette Funicello, American actress (Mickey Mouse Club; Beach Party movies), and singer ("Tall Paul"; "O Dio Mio"), born in Utica, New York, (d. 2013)
- Oct 22 Bobby Fuller, American rock vocalist and guitarist (Bobby Fuller Four - "I Fought The Law"), born in Baytown, Texas (d. 1966)
- Oct 22 Robin John Maconie, New Zealand pianist, electro-acoustic film and concert composer, and musicologist (Stockhausen), born in Auckland, New Zealand
- Oct 25 Terumasa Hino, Japanese jazz, avant-garde, and jazz-fusion trumpeter, cornetist and flügelhorn player, born in Tokyo, Japan
- Oct 26 Colin Loughnan, Australian rock and jazz saxophonist, vocalist, arranger, composer, and teacher (,Sydney Conservatorium of Music), born in Sydney, Australia
- Oct 26 Dietmar Polaczek, Austrian composer and writer, born in Bendsburg, Upper Silesia (now Będzin, Poland)
- Oct 27 Lee Greenwood, American country singer ("God Bless the USA"; "I Don't Mind the Thorns (If You're the Rose)"), born in South Gate, California
- Oct 27 Mike Appel, American musician, songwriter and producer (Sir Lord Baltimore; Bruce Springsteen), born in Flushing, Queens, New York
- Oct 27 Philip Catherine, Belgian jazz guitarist (Chet Baker; Stephane Grappelli; Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen; Jean-Luc Ponty), born in London, England
- Oct 30 Sven-David Sandström, Swedish composer (Jeppe: The Cruel Comedy), born in Motala, Sweden (d. 2019)
About October 1942
How Old? 81 years old
Generation: Silent Generation
Leap Year: No