- Oct 2 Robbie Nevil, rocker (A Place Like This)
- Oct 4 John Secada, Cuban American singer-songwriter, born in Havana, Cuba
- Oct 5 Sharon Cheslow, American musician, composer and artist
- Oct 6 Tim Burgess, English drummer (T'Pau), born in Macclesfield
- Oct 7 Brian Mannix, Australian singer and actor, born in Melbourne, Australia
- Oct 8 Ted Kooshian, American jazz pianist, born in San Jose, California
- Oct 10 Martin Kemp, English rock bassist (Spandau Ballet), born in London, England
- Oct 11 Amr Diab, Egyptian singer (Leily Nehary), born in Port Said, Egypt
- Oct 18 Wynton Marsalis, jazz trumpeter (Grammy 1983), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Oct 25 [Chadwick Gaylord] Chad Smith, American drummer (Red Hot Chili Peppers), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Oct 29 Randy Jackson, rocker (Jackson 5-ABC), born in Gary, Indiana
- Oct 31 Larry Mullen Jr, Irish rock drummer (U2-I Will Follow), born in Dublin, Ireland
- Oct 31 Kate Campbell, American musician, born in New Orleans, Louisiana
About October 1961
How Old? 58 years old
Generation: Baby Boomer
Leap Year: No