In Memoriam: Ian Mitchell
More sad news to report today. Former Bay City Rollers bassist Ian Mitchell has passed away of undisclosed causes. He was 62 years old. The band shared the news on the band’s Facebook page.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of Ian Mitchell’s death,” they wrote “Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Wendy, their family and friends. Rest In Peace, Ian.”
Mitchell joined the Scottish band in 1976 when he was just 17 years old, replacing founding member and bassist Alan Longmuir. He was from Northern Ireland and the only member of the group not from Scotland. During his brief tenure, the band released the album Dedication, which featured a hit with their cover of Dusty Springfield’s “I Only Want To Be With You.”
Mitchell left the group after only a few months. He would later work with Rollers guitarist Stuart ‘Woody’ Wood in The Passengers during the 1980s.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Ian Mitchell.
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
So sorry to hear this. My condolences to his friends and family. RIP
Very sad to hear – he left us so young.
To add to the above article, Ian also worked with Les Mckeown in a Rollers reunion band in the 1990’s.