Former Queen Bassist Passes Away, Played Alongside Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor

While the legacy of Queen continued after five decades, the group faced a few lineup changes over the years. For most, they remembered the lineup being Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon. With the band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the group experienced a major tragedy when Mercury passed away in 1991. However, before their classic era took off, early bassist Barry Mitchell played an important role in shaping their formative live shows. Sadly, he recently passed away. 

The news of Mitchell’s passing was announced by Queen’s official archivist, Greg Brooks. Posting a picture of the musician on Facebook, Brooks wrote, “Terribly sad news just received that early Queen bass player (circa 1970), Barry Mitchell, has passed away. His anecdotes at the convention were fascinating and offered rare insight.  He will be greatly missed.”

Mitchell’s time with Queen was somewhat short-lived. In 1970, the group turned to the musician to replace the original bassist Mike Grose. Seeming to find a groove with the rest of the members, Mitchell took the stage alongside Mercury, May, and Taylor from August 1970 to January 1971. Not even lasting a year, Mitchell helped pave a path for Deacon. 

What Barry Mitchell Originally Thought Of Queen

Although his stint with Queen didn’t last long, Mitchell walked away with a unique insight into the band. Speaking with Rolling Stone, he once admitted that Mercury struggled with shyness. “He was extremely shy. He wasn’t at all the man the public knows today. It’s hard to imagine how shy and insecure he was back then.”

Thankfully, Mercury was able to silence those nerves as he stood in front of an arena of screaming fans. But for Mitchell, he insisted he never saw the potential. “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.”   

Mitchell may have missed the peak of Queen’s global stardom, but his role during their foundation was unmistakable. As fans looked back on the band’s historic rise, his brief yet impactful chapter would always be remembered.   

(Un periodista en París, 2018)