10at10 Club

Main Discussion Area => In Memoriam, Happy Birthday => Topic started by: Wayback on November 12, 2008, 02:16:32 PM

Title: RIP Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix drummer, 61
Post by: Wayback on November 12, 2008, 02:16:32 PM
Mshray and I just saw him perform in SF on Nov 3!  Video clip embedded in this article.
Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix drummer, found dead while on tour in Portland:
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/11/jimi_hendrixs_drummer_mitch_mi.html (http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/11/jimi_hendrixs_drummer_mitch_mi.html)
Additional videos included in this news item:
www.popeater.com/music/article/mitch-mitchell-of-hendrix-experience/246398 (http://www.popeater.com/music/article/mitch-mitchell-of-hendrix-experience/246398)
Title: Re: RIP Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix drummer, 61
Post by: mshray on November 12, 2008, 02:24:58 PM
Holy Crap!

Not only did I see him with Wayback, I shook his hand after and thanked him for a thrill of a lifetime.  Damn.

Title: Re: RIP Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix drummer, 61
Post by: ggould on November 12, 2008, 05:37:19 PM
damn indeed!  A monumental rock trio, all gone.  Mitch was so great.  I never saw him.   Sadness.
Title: Re: RIP Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix drummer, 61
Post by: RGMike on November 13, 2008, 07:54:22 AM
(http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/images/column/103108/mitchell.jpg)
Title: Re: RIP Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix drummer, 61
Post by: Gazoo on November 13, 2008, 09:56:13 AM
damn indeed!  A monumental rock trio, all gone.  Mitch was so great.  I never saw him.   Sadness.

This would make, I suppose, the Jimi Hendrix Trio the first rock band to see all its original members pass away.
Title: Re: RIP Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix drummer, 61
Post by: mshray on November 13, 2008, 10:06:02 AM
damn indeed!  A monumental rock trio, all gone.  Mitch was so great.  I never saw him.   Sadness.

This would make, I suppose, the Jimi Hendrix Trio the first rock band to see all its original members pass away.

Was thinking the same thing.  At least among the HOF entries.
Title: Re: RIP Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix drummer, 61
Post by: princessofcairo on November 13, 2008, 05:27:18 PM
by accident today, i played one of those bootleg jimi cds i bought in the bargain bin. it claimed to be "the early years", but was really a jam session from '68 (with a fucked-up jim morrison singing an indecipherable rant over good licks). the person who wrote the liner notes described jimi as "the black elvis" which made me laugh to no end! and, "in" his "opinion", rick derringer is playing 2nd fiddle, and mitch mitchell is on drums. i think he's a crock, but it was my version of an inadvertent tribute, just the same.
Title: Re: RIP Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix drummer, 61
Post by: Wayback on November 14, 2008, 09:51:54 AM
Official Mitchell obit press release. At bottom is video from Rolling Stones Rock'n'Roll Circus 1969, with Mitchell backing John Lennon, Eric Clapton and Keith Richards (whatta band!) on Lennon's "Yer Blues":
http://www.ibabuzz.com/concerts/2008/11/13/mitch-mitchell-official-obit/ (http://www.ibabuzz.com/concerts/2008/11/13/mitch-mitchell-official-obit/)
Title: Re: RIP Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix drummer, 61
Post by: urth on November 14, 2008, 09:58:22 AM
Holy Crap!

Not only did I see him with Wayback, I shook his hand after and thanked him for a thrill of a lifetime.  Damn.



How did he look when you guys saw him? I just read the news story in the Oregonian and they had a couple of quotes saying he didn't look well before the show, and that he'd only played on one song during the show here.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/11/jimi_hendrixs_drummer_mitch_mi.html
Title: Re: RIP Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix drummer, 61
Post by: mshray on November 14, 2008, 10:06:40 AM
Holy Crap!

Not only did I see him with Wayback, I shook his hand after and thanked him for a thrill of a lifetime.  Damn.



How did he look when you guys saw him? I just read the news story in the Oregonian and they had a couple of quotes saying he didn't look well before the show, and that he'd only played on one song during the show here.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/11/jimi_hendrixs_drummer_mitch_mi.html

He was very cheerful, got on the mike a couple of times & said some very nice things about Eric Johnson at one point, since EJ was leaving the tour after our show.  He played on several songs, but iirc, he was never the only drummer (they had three kits set up, and at least once they had 3 drummers drummming).  I could certainly agree that he looked a little worse for wear and tear, but his spirits were clearly up.

I'm still sad about it.
Title: Re: RIP Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix drummer, 61
Post by: Wayback on November 14, 2008, 11:06:18 AM
How did he look when you guys saw him? I just read the news story in the Oregonian and they had a couple of quotes saying he didn't look well before the show, and that he'd only played on one song during the show here.
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/11/jimi_hendrixs_drummer_mitch_mi.html
We were about 4 rows from stage right, so could easily see behind drum kits and some of backstage area thru opening in center curtain.  He was wearing a can't miss green Hawaiian shirt, open over a t-shirt and blue jeans.  He'd sometimes sit on back corner of drum riser, our side, enjoying the musicians and drinking from a water bottle.  He didn't seem ill at the time, but did hobble a bit, not unusual really.  Perhaps he had a pre-existing condition and/or fell ill in the week after we saw him.  Or his heart just stopped.  Whoever mentioned it I think is correct, his passing is first time a major band has lost all its original members.  Will have to do some research on that.