KEITH MITCHELL dead 2017-05-12,+Hope's long eulogy

General discussion about Mazzy Star

KEITH MITCHELL dead 2017-05-12,+Hope's long eulogy

Postby Hermesacat » Mon May 15, 2017 5:49 pm

This sad news was first reported via Mazzy Star's official Facebook page today (Monday, May 15, 2017) with this official comment:
QUOTE: "Our hearts are broken. We have lost the much beloved Keith Mitchell, a very talented and amazing drummer that we have had the privilege to work with for many years, he will live in all of our hearts forever... We'll miss you Big Fella."
https://www.facebook.com/MazzyStarOfficial/?fref=nf#
Rolling Stone and some other music sites posted short obituaries soon afterward:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ ... ad-w482297
Here's the photo of Keith Mazzy Star posted to FB along with their comment:

Image
Last edited by Hermesacat on Sun Aug 06, 2017 4:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Hermesacat
 
Posts: 607
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2013 2:54 pm

Re: KEITH MITCHELL, Mazzy Star's drummer, dead May 14, 2017

Postby Malavita » Wed May 17, 2017 4:58 am

Oh no. RIP Keith Mitchell. A drummer with soul, and from what I remember of the Facebook group, real sweet to the fans.
Malavita
 
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2016 6:07 am

Re: KEITH MITCHELL, Mazzy Star's drummer, dead May 14, 2017

Postby Hermesacat » Thu May 18, 2017 4:21 pm

Malavita: Yes, Keith was the only Mazzy Star band member who, as far as I know, made posts, & left helpful comments numerous times at the FB fan Group & also in some youtube comments threads, including at a couple of my own yt uploads, which I was very pleased about.

Here's a new retrospective article on Keith Mitchell's career with info. on, and seven embedded youtube links to recordings of, various 1980s (& '90s) Paisley Underground and other bands Keith played in. It's a short article on his career but is the most in-depth one I've seen so far since his death:
http://lastdaydeaf.com/opal-and-mazzy-s ... ssed-away/
Also, here's a link to Keith's complete discography (it's large) at discogs site, a link Keith posted to the FB fanGroup last October. So, he himself likely edited the discography for accuracy (I think Discogs, like Wikipedia, allows public editing):
https://www.discogs.com/artist/464323-K ... pe=Credits
Hermesacat
 
Posts: 607
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2013 2:54 pm

Re: KEITH MITCHELL, Mazzy Star's drummer, dead May 14, 2017

Postby Hermesacat » Fri May 19, 2017 8:47 pm

http://www.scpr.org/programs/offramp/20 ... l-was-the/
Link to a good, if short, article and audio podcast remembering Keith Mitchell from Pasadena NPR radio station KPCC broadcast May 18, 2017. Keith's old 1980s bandmate from The Romans, Juan Gomez, is interviewed with audio clips of music illustrating Keith's drumming. The article says he "died Sunday after a very short illness." The radio segment podcast is just 8+ minutes long. If you go to youtube from the article's embedded video of the Monitor song, you can check out Keith's comments he left in its comments section 2 months ago.
Hermesacat
 
Posts: 607
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2013 2:54 pm

Re: KEITH MITCHELL, Mazzy Star's drummer, dead May 14, 2017

Postby Hermesacat » Sun May 28, 2017 11:10 pm

A new, informative Keith Mitchell obituary from Long Beach Gazettes site with quotes from his son Paul (Paul Mitchell was a musician in Mazzy Star's touring band in both 2012 and 2013). We learn he died "after a short battle with cancer on May 14, according to his sister." I'll paste the article's complete text below plus a link to the site.
......................................................................................
http://www.gazettes.com/news/long-beach ... ac301.html
Keith Mitchell Obituary, Long Beach Gazettes, May 28, 2017

Long Beach Native, Mazzy Star Drummer Keith Mitchell Dies
By Emily Thornton, Staff Writer

Mazzy Star drummer and Long Beach native Keith Mitchell died Sunday, May 14, after a short battle with cancer, according to sister and WomenShelter of Long Beach Executive Director Mary Ellen Mitchell.

The Long Beach-born musician attended Millikan and Wilson high schools and was a Boy Scouts of America and Tribe of Tahquitz member, his sister said.

Santa Monica-based alternative rock group Mazzy Star posted to its Facebook page May 15 with, "Our hearts are broken. We have lost the much beloved Keith Mitchell, a very talented and amazing drummer that we have had the privilege to work with for many years. He will live in all of our hearts forever... We'll miss you Big Fella."

Mitchell also was member of Opal, Monitor and Green on Red. he joined guitarist David Roback in Opal, but left after 1987's "Happy Nightmare Baby," according to "Rolling Stone." [this is incorrect. RS says (correctly) singer Kendra left Opal in 1987. Mitchell never left,-Hermesacat]. Roback gathered singer Hope Sandoval to join Opal before the group became Mazzy Star in 1989.

Mitchell drummed on all four of the group's albums, including: "She Hangs Brightly," "So Tonight That I Might See," Among My Swan" and "Seasons of Your Day."

"He immersed me in different cultures and different musical influences," son Paul Mitchell said. "That's always something I'll appreciate... The experience was very rewarding."

Paul said his father's music interest started young. He played instruments including guitar and tuba, and picked up drumming while a Boy Scout, he said. From there, Keith played with various cover bands at bars, then started a country western band, which toured nationwide.

"He was on tour with them when my mom told him she was pregnant with me," Paul said.

He moved on to audition with Monitor as a drummer, Paul said, which was an experimental band touring the L.A.-area, and eventually landed with Opal and Mazzy Star, the latter being more successful, Paul said.

"A lot of my childhood, he was on tour," Paul said. "For me, it was kind of bittersweet, but I really aspire to be just like him... So much of my dad's life was around music, but I want to express that he had such a quest for knowledge of all sorts, and immersed himself in music."

Keith's survivors include sons Paul Mitchell and Kieran Matias, mother Charlotte Mitchell, as well as brothers Craig and Brian, and sister Mary Ellen Mitchell. He also has five grandchildren, two nieces and two nephews.

A California State University, Long Beach, fund has been set up with the percussion program at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, Mary Ellen said. Donations can be made in his honor by mailing a check payable to CSULB 49er Foundation: College of the Arts c/o Arlena Kauppi, Director of Development, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, Calif., 90840. Credit card donations can go to https://giveto.csulb.edu/cn/(S(oqm0zfxgnovc02j1fycnii2f))/?fund=COAMUS44 and list "In Memory of Keith Mitchell" or click on "In Memory" and type Keith Mitchell. For help donating, call (562) 985-8491.

A celebration of life will be at 2 p.m. June 17 at Rancho Los Alamitos, 6400 Bixby Hill Rd. Space is limited and reservations can be made by calling (626) 353-5765.

Emily Thornton can be reached at ethornton@gazettes.com.
Hermesacat
 
Posts: 607
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2013 2:54 pm

Re: KEITH MITCHELL,dead 2017-05-14, +Hope's long eulogy

Postby Hermesacat » Wed Jun 21, 2017 12:17 pm

Here's Hope Sandoval's piece she wrote re. Keith Mitchell & posted to the official Mazzy Star Facebook page on June 20, 2017, plus the great photo she posted with it.

QUOTE:
We spent this past Saturday celebrating the life of our sweet, cool and lovable Keith Mitchell. It was a beautiful gathering of artists, musicians, filmmakers, kids, moms, dads, horses, and even some funny little goats.

I just want to share some of my thoughts and memories of the man that I had the privilege and pleasure to work with. Keith and I took many road trips to Berkeley CA in the late 80s together. We recorded a lot of Mazzy Star's music there. He would pick me up in his little Datsun station wagon car, jam-packed with his drum kit and various other percussive instruments.

Keith had superb taste in music and a vast collection of well known and obscure artists. He would always bring a batch of cassettes with interesting sounds along with him. I remember the fist time I heard 'Can,' it was in Keith's car driving along the 5. Their sound was strange wild and beautiful, all at the same time. Keith always had an introduction before he'd play something, the first time he played me Leonard Cohen he said; "this music has the best backing vocals ever!" I can't quite remember the story he told me about the singers but there was some kind of mystery to it.

Keith absolutely loved Tom Waits and played him every trip, the first few times I would say to Keith; "Oh no, not him, his voice is too drunk and scratchy sounding," and Keith would say; "you have to listen to the music and his words, then you'll be hooked!" Of course it wasn't long before I'd get into his car and request the man with the scratchy voice.

So much great music and company on all those Northern California drives... Thank you Keith for all the inspiration, elevation, communication, levitation, education, intoxication and reverberation. I'll always have and keep you in my heart and soul.
Sweet dreams Big Fella.
See you at the big gig in the sky.
Love
H.
Image
Last edited by Hermesacat on Sat Jul 08, 2017 11:34 pm, edited 7 times in total.
Hermesacat
 
Posts: 607
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2013 2:54 pm

Re: KEITH MITCHELL dead 2017-05-12,+Hope's long eulogy

Postby Emma » Fri Jul 07, 2017 3:25 pm

Very sad news...
It's nice of Hope to publicly share her sentiments and her personal memories after Keith Mitchell's death.

Jill Emery posted a photo of her with Keith while they were in the studio recording with Mazzy Star.
Looks like Keith was having fun!
Image
User avatar
Emma
Site Admin
 
Posts: 117
Joined: Fri Sep 13, 2013 4:32 pm

Re: KEITH MITCHELL dead 2017-05-12,+Hope's long eulogy

Postby Hermesacat » Sat Jul 08, 2017 7:55 pm

Thanks Emma for posting Jill Emery's pic with her & Keith.
And thanks go to FB Group member Far Leys for posting this bit info about Keith's age which I hadn't seen info about any where else, QUOTE: "According to the Facebook page of one of his Monitor band mates, Keith Mitchell was born in 1951." So Keith, not David, was "old man of group" (David was born April 4, 1958).
Hermesacat
 
Posts: 607
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2013 2:54 pm


Return to General Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

cron