Barry Mitchell, who played with Queen in their early days, has died. (His exact age wasn’t readily available, but sources note somewhere between 76 and 80.)
Greg Brooks, the band’s official archivist, shared the news on Facebook.
“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.
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In a 2018 interview reported by NME, Mitchell recalled, “We played quite a few concerts in England, notably in Liverpool.
“At the time, they weren’t at all the cult band you all know,” he added, noting he wasn’t enthusiastic about the music and that he was fired. “I didn’t see the potential. It’s crazy to say this now, but it’s the truth.”
When Did Barry Mitchell Play With Queen?
Mitchell wasn’t Queen’s first bass player, though.
When the group formed in London in 1970, Mike Grose was one of its founding members along with singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, and drummer Roger Taylor.
After three live performances, Grose quit the band and was replaced by Mitchell. He played 13 shows with the band between August 1970 and January 1971.
Mitchell left in January 1971 and was then replaced by Doug Bogie for two live shows. John Deacon joined soon after, and Queen’s self-titled debut album was released in 1973, featuring two songs — “Liar” and “Son and Daughter” — that included bass lines reportedly written by Mitchell.
After leaving Queen, Mitchell played with the bands Tiger, which was once known as Crushed Butler, and Jayne Raydio.
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