Barry Mitchell, a former bassist who played with the legendary band Queen from 1970 to 1971, has passed away.
Queen’s official archivist Greg Brooks shared the news in a Facebook post on Thursday, Aug. 20.
“Terribly sad news just received that early Queen bass player (circa 1970), Barry Mitchell, has passed away,” wrote Brooks.
“His anecdotes at the convention were fascinating and offered rare insight. He will be greatly missed.”
Mitchell joined the band in 1970, being the second bassist following Mike Grose. He remained until 1971, when Doug Bogie took over. Then, John Deacon joined the group and served as the longest-running bassist from 1971 to 1997. The band’s debut album was released in 1993. He is credited with laying down the original bass lines for songs including “Liar” and “Son and Daughter.”
He ultimately played 13 gigs with the band, most of which were in the United Kingdom.
Following his time with Queen, Mitchell took a break, leaving music altogether. However, he made a comeback in the 1990s with the band Jayne Raydio.
Barry Mitchell Reflected On His Days With Queen In 2018 Interview
During a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Mitchell reflected on his early days playing with the “Bohemian Rhapsody” band.
“We played quite a few concerts in England, notably in Liverpool,” he told Rolling Stone, per The Independent. “Since we didn’t have enough original songs to last a whole show and Freddie [Mercury] loved classic rock & roll, we played that too.”
Mitchell then told the magazine that he was “fired” because the bandmates “thought I was useless”.
“In fact, it was me who wasn’t enthusiastic enough about their music,” he said upon reflection. “This didn’t necessarily go in the direction I wanted to go. At the time, they weren’t at all the cult band you all know.
“I didn’t see the potential. It’s crazy to say this now but it’s the truth.”
Tributes Pour In
Getty“Piece of living history is gone,” one person wrote.
“Rock in peace, Barry. I will never forget our long years conversations and your hats.. Miss you,” another person posted.
“I’m so sorry to hear that. Such a sad loss,” a fan commented.
“RIP Barry Mitchell,” another fan said.
“Sad to hear this. RIP Barry,” one fan stated.
Some of his friends also shared tributes, as per GB News.
“He was a great guy, and a friend, and we had some very interesting chats over the years on the phone and in person,” Gary Taylor wrote on social media.
His friend, Mark Cotterill, described him as “a genuinely lovely man” who “had time for everyone at the Queen conventions.” He added that Mitchell was “A man who could make any hat look cool.”
