Events in Music
- Oct 12 "Mask & Gown" closes at John Golden Theater NYC after 39 performances
- Oct 12 "Simply Heavenly" closes at Playhouse Theater NYC after 62 performances
#1 in the Charts
Oct 14 Everly Brothers' single "Wake Up Little Susie" reaches #1
- Oct 17 "Copper & Brass" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC for 36 performances
Jailhouse Rock Premieres
Oct 17 Musical film "Jailhouse Rock" starring Elvis Presley premieres in Memphis, Tennessee
Television Debut
Oct 18 "The Frank Sinatra Show" television variety/drama anthology series debuts on ABC; the singer-actor is given almost complete control of the program
- Oct 19 Richard Adler and Jerry Ross' musical "Damn Yankees" closes at 46th St Theater, NYCl after 1022 performances and 7 Tony Award wins
Music Premiere
Oct 30 Dmitri Shostakovich's 11th Symphony premieres in Moscow
Music Premiere
Oct 31 Yip Harburg, Fred Saidy, and Harold Arlen's musical "Jamaica", starring Lena Horne, opens at Imperial Theater, NYC; runs for 558 performances
Birthdays in Music
- Oct 4 Russell Simmons, American hip-hop music magnate (Def Jam), and entrepreneur, born in Queens, New York
- Oct 5 Lee "Kix" Thompson, saxophonist (Madness - "Baggy Trousers", "Our House"), born in St Pancras, London, England
- Oct 9 Ini Kamoze [Cecil Campbell], Jamaican reggae singer ("Here Comes the Hotstepper"), born in Saint Mary's, Jamaica
- Oct 11 Blair Cunningham, American rock drummer (Haircut 100), born in Memphis, Tennessee
- Oct 14 Kenny Neal, American blues musician (Let Life Flow), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Oct 17 Giuseppe Henry "Pino" Palladino, Italian-Welsh session and touring rock bassist (Paul Young; The Who; John Mayer Trio), born in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
- Oct 19 Karl Wallinger, Welsh rocker and songwriter (The Waterboys, 1983-85; World Party - "Give It All Away"; "Ship Of Fools"), born in Prestatyn, Wales, UK
- Oct 20 Susanna Haavisto, Finnish actress and singer, born in Helsinki, Finland
- Oct 21 Julian Cope [Kevin Stapleton], British pop musician (Eve's Volcano), born in Deri, Monmouthshire, Wales
- Oct 21 Steve Lukather, American rock singer, guitarist, arranger, producer (Toto - "Africa"; Ringo's All-Starr Band, 2012-21), born in San Fernando Valley, California
- Oct 25 Robbie Macintosh, English rock session and touring guitarist (The Pretenders, 1982-87 - "Don't Get Me Wrong"; "2000 Miles"; Paul McCartney, 1988-93), born in Sutton, Surrey, England
- Oct 28 Stephen Morris, British pop drummer (Joy Division - "Atmosphere"; New Order), born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England.
- Oct 31 Brian Stokes Mitchell, American Broadway singer and actor, born in Seattle, Washington
- Oct 31 Robert Pollard, American rock singer-songwriter (Guided by Voices), born in Dayton, Ohio
Weddings in Music
- Oct 24 Singer Bing Cosby marries second wife actress Kathryn Grant
Deaths in Music
- Oct 14 [Carl] Natanael Berg, Swedish composer, dies at 78
