Queen's Early Bassist Barry Mitchell Dies at 71

Barry Mitchell, an early bassist for the iconic band Queen, has died. His death was confirmed by Queen's official archivist, Greg Brooks, on Thursday, August 20th. Mitchell was a member of the band from 1970 to 1971, playing alongside Freddie Mercury before John Deacon took over.

Mitchell was Queen's second bassist, following Mike Grose and preceding Doug Bogie. He joined the band during its formative years, prior to their 1973 debut album and global superstardom. He later played with bands such as Tiger and Crushed Butler.

In a 2018 interview, Mitchell shared his perspective on his departure from Queen. He stated that he was 'fired' because his bandmates found him 'useless.' Mitchell admitted that he himself was not enthusiastic enough about their music and did not see the potential for their future success, a sentiment he acknowledged as ironic given their later fame.