More bad news, I'm afraid. My mate Alan O'Leary just forwarded this email he received from Duck Baker:

Subject: bad news


> 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...
>
> Duck

(From me again) I first saw Sammy about 30 years ago down the Moon on a Friday night with my mate Cliff. He was brilliant and I vaguely remember mumbling something to that effect to Sammy on the way out. Anyway, I was that carried away (and pissed) I forgot my coat so me and Cliff went back at lunchtime the next day to get it. Sammy was there having a drink with some mates and he came over and sat down for a drink and a chat with the two of us. He always used to say hello after that. We often used to go and see him after that and he was always brilliant. Funnily enough, I was just thinking about that gig the other day and then the news arrives. What a shame.

Chris