- Oct 1 Julian Bahula, South African-British jazz and world music drummer, composer, bandleader (Jabula), and anti-apartheid activist, dies at 84
- Oct 3 Lena McLin (née Johnson), American music teacher, composer (Oh Freedom), and Baptist pastor, dies at 95
- Oct 8 Stewkey [Robert Antoni], American power pop-rock vocalist and keyboard player (Nazz - "Open My Eyes", "Hello It's Me), dies of cancer at 75
- Oct 9 Charles "Buck" Trent, American country and bluegrass banjoist, dobro player, and singer (Hee Haw), dies at 85
- Oct 12 Rudolph Isley, American rock singer (Isley Brothers - "Shout"; "Twist and Shout"; "It's Your Thing"), and minister, dies at 84 [1]
- Oct 15 Carmen Petra-Basacopol, Romanian composer and educator Bucharest Conservatory (1962-2003), dies at 97
- Oct 17 Carla Bley [Lovella Borg], American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer (Escalator Over The Hill; Fictitious Sports), dies of brain cancer at 87 [1]
- Oct 18 Dwight Twilley, American power pop singer-songwriter ("I'm On Fire"; "Girls"), dies of complications from a stroke at 72 [1]
- Oct 19 Atsushi Sakurai, Japanese rock vocalist and songwriter (Buck-Tick), dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at 57
- Oct 23 Chronis Aidonidis, Greek folk and traditional music singer, dies at 95
- Oct 23 István Láng, Hungarian composer (Impulsioni), and pedagogue, dies at 90
- Oct 23 Mervin Shiner, American honky-tonk country and hillbilly singer, and guitarist, dies at 102
- Oct 25 Zdeněk Mácal, Czech conductor (Milwaukee Symphony, 1986-95; New Jersey Symphony, 1992-2003; Czech Philharmonic, 2003-07), dies at 87 [1]
- Oct 29 Heath [Hiroshi Morie], Japanese rock bassist, singer and songwriter (X Japan), dies of colorectal cancer at 55
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