Mitch Mitchell

Mitch Mitchell, the British drummer in the seminal 1960s band the Jimi Hendrix Experience, has been found dead in his US hotel room, authorities say.

Mitchell, 61, was found dead in the Benson Hotel in Portland, Oregon, in the early hours of Wednesday.

A medical examiner told Associated Press news agency the death appeared to be natural causes but that there would be an autopsy.

Jimi Hendrix died in 1970 and the band's bassist Noel Redding in 2003.

Mitchell had been touring with the Experience Hendrix Tour.



there could not have been a better drummer for Jimi Hendrix than Mitch Mitchell. He gave Jimi's music a propulsion and feel that very few rock drummers could have even thought of, much less executed. While Buddy Miles eventually took over for the brute-force rhythmic requirements of Band Of Gypsys, Hendrix always went back to Mitch. There was obviously a connection there that Hendrix felt was vital to his music. Mitchell took to being Jimi's right-hand man, and it was an experience (pardon the pun) that he no doubt cherished throughout his career. Here's a bit of an interview with Mitch that sums it up:

"There are a lot of things that we never said," Mitchell says. "I think what it comes down to is a kind of mutual respect for each other. Musically, I'd give him a hard time, he'd give me a hard time, though it was a very compatible situation from my side. It was very interesting to work with someone who would give you that ultimate freedom that seemed to have whatever time existed in your head. There were no boundaries, there were no limits at all. Jimi was irreplaceable, both as a friend and a musician. I miss him as much today."

And today, we miss Mitch Mitchell. Play on, drummer...