You are connecting from Lake Geneva Public Library, please login or register to take advantage of your institution's Ground News Plan.
Published 5 hours ago • loading... • Updated 2 hours ago
Former Queen bassist Barry Mitchell dies as fans pay tribute: "Terribly sad news”
Queen's official archivist Greg Brooks confirmed on Monday that early bassist Barry Mitchell passed away on August 17, sharing the news via Facebook with a black and white photo.
Mitchell performed 13 concerts with Queen between August 1970 and January 1971 as the band's second bassist, later telling Rolling Stone he departed because he "wasn't enthusiastic enough about their music."
After leaving Queen, Mitchell played with Crushed Butler, later known as Tiger, which biographers hailed as "Britain's first proto-punk band," while friend Mark Cotterill remembered him as a "genuinely lovely man."
Tributes flooded social media following the news, with friend Gary Taylor writing, "RIP Barry Mitchell, Queen's second bass player, who sadly passed away on August 17th," and recalling their chats.
The London native, who lived in Northampton, is survived by two daughters and remembered for playing original bass lines for early Queen tracks including "Liar" and "Son And Daughter.
He didn't really warm up to the band, but he's part of its history. The second bassist of the British band Queen, Barry Mitchell, has died. His age and cause of death were not disclosed. He was a member of the band in 1970 and 1971.