Former Queen bassist Barry Mitchell dies aged 75
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Former Queen bassist Barry Mitchell has died, with fans and friends paying tribute after the band's official archivist, Greg Brooks, confirmed the news on Facebook. Mitchell served as Queen's second bassist between August 1970 and January 1971, joining after founding member Mike Grose left and departing before the band's 1973 breakthrough debut album, meaning he never achieved fame with the group but is remembered as an important figure in its early history.
Mitchell reportedly played the original bass lines on the songs "Liar" and "Son And Daughter", and in a 2018 Rolling Stone interview he admitted he left because he "wasn't enthusiastic enough" about the band's music at the time, saying he "didn't see the potential". He was briefly succeeded by Doug Bogie before John Deacon became Queen's long-term bassist, and Mitchell went on to play with proto-punk band Tiger and later Jayne Raydio in the 1990s. He died on 17 August 2026, prompting tributes from friends and fans who recalled him as approachable and full of stories from Queen conventions.
- Former Queen bassist Barry Mitchell has died, aged unspecified.
- He played bass for Queen briefly from 1970-1971, before John Deacon.
- Fans and friends shared tributes recalling his warmth and stories.
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Barry Mitchell was a bass player who briefly belonged to Queen in their early days, long before the band became famous. He joined in August 1970, taking over from the group's original bassist Mike Grose, and left in January 1971, meaning he was not part of the line-up that recorded Queen's breakthrough 1973 debut album.
During his short time with the band, Mitchell is reported to have played on early versions of songs that later became well known, including "Liar" and "Son And Daughter". After leaving Queen, he was followed by another short-lived bassist, Doug Bogie, before John Deacon joined and became the band's long-term bass player for the rest of Queen's career. Mitchell later played with other bands, including Tiger and Jayne Raydio.
The story matters to Queen fans and music historians because it touches on the band's formative years, before they found success, and the lesser-known musicians who passed through the line-up during that period.
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Originally published by NME as “Former Queen bassist Barry Mitchell dies as fans pay tribute: “Terribly sad news””.