Former Queen bassist Barry Mitchell has died, the band's official archivist has confirmed. Mitchell was Queen's second bassist for six months between August 1970 and January 1971.
Archivist Confirms Death
Greg Brooks, the official archivist for Queen, revealed the news in a Facebook post accompanied by a black and white photo of the musician. 'Terribly sad news just received that early Queen bass player (circa 1970), Barry Mitchell, has passed away,' Brooks wrote. 'His anecdotes at the convention were fascinating and offered rare insight. He will be greatly missed.'
Fans and Friends Pay Tribute
Tributes have poured in from friends, fans and other musicians. Gary Taylor wrote on social media: 'RIP Barry Mitchell, Queen's second bass player, who sadly passed away on August 17th. He was a great guy, and a friend, and we had some very interesting chats over the years on the phone and in person. Here is one of the last photos I took of Barry playing live on stage at the Edinburgh Queen Day in 2018.'
Another friend, Mark Cotterill, said: 'Farewell to a genuinely lovely man. A pleasure to call him friend. He had time for everyone at the Queen conventions. He had some great stories to tell re his music career. A man who could make any hat look cool. RIP Barry.'
A fan wrote: 'So very sad. Another piece of living history gone.'
Mitchell's Time with Queen
Mitchell's influence is said to have continued with the iconic rock band during its rise to fame with Freddie Mercury and Brian May. He reportedly played the original bass lines for songs like Liar and Son And Daughter. Queen, which formed in London in the late 1960s, played with other bassists before Mitchell joined the outfit for a slew of gigs. He played with the group for thirteen concerts before his exit in January 1971, with Doug Bogie brought in to replace him for two gigs before bassist John Deacon's addition.
Later Career and Personal Life
Mitchell went on to play with Crushed Butler, later known as Tiger, a band that has been hailed as 'Britain's first proto-punk band' by biographers. Mitchell, who was from London, lived in Northampton before his death. He attended Claremont High School in Harrow in the mid 1960s, according to his social media. Mitchell is survived by two daughters.
