I just heard the sad but not surprising news that Sam Mitchell died a couple of days ago. Sammy was one of the better English blues players in his day, a killer slide guitarist and an effective singer. Some thought his playing overly technical but i felt that, at his best, he cut through things pretty well, and he used to really raise the roof with his trio down in Putney about 25 years ago.
I remember he tended bar part-time at the Bricklayer's Arms in those days and it was his inability to get around Brother Barleycorn that eventually took things over. Alcoholism had made him too undependable to book, and obviously didn't do any good for his playing. I hadn't seen him since the early 80's but I understand Sam was in Denmark for quite a few years, and I think things went fairly went over there at least for a while. he had returned to Liverpool more recently I guess.
If anyone sees an obit, please send it along. I'm feeling cut up about this, much as I did when Tommy Jones took the same shitty bus out of town a couple of years ago.

God damn it.

There's my obit, anyway...

I still mess around time to time with his "faux 6th Hawaiian tuning" by taking open D or open E and raising the 2nd string to the 6th. His version of "Sunshine in Houston" was one of the first slide tunes I worked on in open G. The fact that the CD came with tab was awesome for someone just getting into bottleneck.

He made an impression on me for sure - RIP Sam.

As a teen I was influence by Sam with his beautiful Dobro before I ever heard a note, when I used to endlessly look at those Shanachie album covers at the Time Sq. record shop.
I just knew I had to get me one of those!
That cover above says it all, eh?

We got to hang out & jam a little bit over the years at a few other events.
Homesick Mac, who recorded an absolutly brilliant album with him was probably the most instrumental in inspiring him to keep playing/performing this past decade.

I wish he took better care of himself...

Sleep easy Sam - and thanks for the music.

Hi Brian!
Could you please help me by forwarding a kind of a personal message from me to this
IGS forum?

---------------------
My friend and musical collaborator between 1995-1999 Sam Mitchell has passed away.
How does one react publically to this kind of news - without being accused of
"ripping off" Sammy and gaining a personal publicity that way?

I do need to say a couple of things though and I hope you people will understand me
right. There has been roumors about Sam that he was "this" or "that" way, which may
be the result of other people's experiences with him. His career was long enough to
generate all kinds of contacts and situations.

The following is my "own story" about the period between 1995-1999, when Sam And I
met in Copenhagen, Denmark, started hanging out together, jamming and at the end
recording a duo CD "Two Long Way from Home". We toured Denmark, Sweden and Norway
during this period playing in clubs, on festivals and other events.

Let me point our here that Sam Mitchell was the most generous and warm person who
was highly respected by his musical colegues on the Danish rock and blues scene of
that time. His work as the electric guitar player in the famous Danish rock group
The Sandman was combined with regular solo gigs at the Copenhagen's MOJO Club.
That's where the two of us met in 1995 and got our very first contact. Sam was my
favorite guitar player from the times when I started playing open tunings and slide,
back in 1980 in the former Yugoslavia.

He was one of the most professional and reliable artists I've ever worked with and
we've had a great time together. He was a true friend as well and I'll treasure the
memory of him as long as I live.

Regarding his ilness:
I've been getting quite many emails with questions about Sam and his last years
from his friends and fans from USA and Europe. They have all been wondering why he
died and which ilness he was suffering from.

I've talked to him quite regularly during the last years and he told me in March
2004 that he's been diagnosed by the COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).
Please read more at the following link:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/other/copd_fact.pdf
I asume that the fatal heart attack was the result of this progressive ilness.

I spoke to Sam for the last time about a month ago. He sounded very optimistic and
he was in a good spirit as allways. He asked about my family and how it was going
for me - typical Sammy, always being concerened about others. He was that kind of a
person, he would always "slip away" from the talk about his ilness. He would say
"Yeah, it's a drag and I'm taking my medication and inhallators, but I'm OK...
listen, how are you these days???"

I miss him very, very much. Thank you all.

With kind regards,

Love