Barry Mitchell dead: Queen star dies at 76 as tributes for bass player flood in: ‘Terrible news’
Barry Mitchell, the former Queen bassist who served as the band’s second bass player, has died at the age of 76.
His passing on August 17 was confirmed by Greg Brooks, Queen’s official archivist, who shared a black-and-white photograph of the musician on Facebook.
“Terribly sad news just received that early Queen bass player (circa 1970), Barry Mitchell, has passed away,” Mr Brooks wrote.
“His anecdotes at the convention were fascinating and offered rare insight. He will be greatly missed.”
Mr Mitchell held the bass role in the London-formed rock group for a brief but significant period between August 1970 and January 1971, preceding the arrival of John Deacon, who would go on to complete Queen’s legendary permanent lineup alongside Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor.
Prior to joining Queen, Mr Mitchell had been performing with a group called Conviction, after which he was recommended to drummer Roger Taylor.
During his half-year stint, he appeared at 13 concerts with the band, many of them across England.
Queen had cycled through several bassists before and after Mr Mitchell’s time.
Mike Grose preceded him, while Doug Bogie stepped in for two gigs following his departure before Mr Deacon was ultimately recruited.
Barry Mitchell held the bass role in the London-formed rock group for a brief but significant period between August 1970 and January 1971
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In a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone, Mr Mitchell recalled the early days: “We played quite a few concerts in England, notably in Liverpool. Since we didn’t have enough original songs to last a whole show and Freddie loved classic rock and roll, we played that too.”
Mr Mitchell attended Claremont High School in Harrow during the mid-1960s and was originally from London.
Though his time with Queen was fleeting, Mr Mitchell’s musical fingerprints remained on the group well beyond his departure.
He laid down the original bass lines and riffs for tracks including Liar and Son and Daughter, which subsequent bassists would follow, though Deacon later developed his own variations for live performances.
John Deason eventually became Queen’s bass player
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Speaking candidly about why he left, Mr Mitchell joked: “They fired me because they thought I was useless.
“In fact, it was me who wasn’t enthusiastic enough about their music. This didn’t necessarily go in the direction I wanted to go.”
He reflected with remarkable honesty on his inability to foresee what Queen would become.
“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,” he admitted.
Tributes from those who knew Mr Mitchell personally have been heartfelt.
Barry Mitchell has died at 76
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Gary Taylor wrote on social media: “He was a great guy, and a friend, and we had some very interesting chats over the years on the phone and in person.”
Friend Mark Cotterill described him as “a genuinely lovely man” who “had time for everyone at the Queen conventions,” adding: “A man who could make any hat look cool.”
Numerous fans who encountered Mr Mitchell at Queen conventions over the years remembered him warmly, with one writing: “So very sad. Another piece of living history gone.”
After departing Queen, Mr Mitchell left music altogether before making a comeback in the 1990s with the band Jayne Raydio. He also played with Crushed Butler, later renamed Tiger, which biographers have called Britain’s first proto-punk band.
Mr Mitchell, who had been living in Northampton, is survived by two daughters.
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