Former Queen Bassist Barry Mitchell Dies at 76
Former Queen bassist Barry Mitchell has died at the age of 76. The news comes from Queen’s official archivist, Greg Brooks, who announced it on Facebook.
“Terribly sad news just received that early Queen bass player (circa 1970), Barry Mitchell, has passed away,” he wrote. “His anecdotes at the convention were fascinating and offered rare insight. He will be greatly missed.”
Mitchell was Queen’s second bassist, replacing Mike Grose in August of 1970. He played 13 gigs between then and his departure in January 1971. The group would perform with Doug Bogie for two gigs before John Deacon joined to complete the classic lineup. Their debut album wouldn’t come until 1973.
As to why he left, Mitchell explains it wasn’t for him. “In fact, it was me who wasn’t enthusiastic enough about their music,” he told Rolling Stone in 2018. “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.”
Although his time in the band’s fledgling years was brief, he impacted the band’s sound. He created the original bass lines for songs like “Liar” and “Son and Daughter.”
His time was documented in this recording from Imperial College in 1970 featuring the band performing the Bo Diddley classic “I’m a Man.”
Following Queen, he joined Tiger, a proto-punk band that ultimately disbanded in late 1971.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Barry 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.
