2022 Obit: Kevin Mitchell - December

Subject: Obit: Kevin Mitchell December 2022
From: Vic Smith
Date: 02 Jan 23 - 02:43 PM

What an awful start to the New Year! I feel devastated by this news.
The death has been announced of one of my all-time favourite singers - Kevin Mitchell. Tina and I became great friends with Kevin and Ellen (also a great singer) and met up with them at various traditional music and folk festivals over the years and they made the long trip down from Glasgow to Lewes to sing for us on a number of occasions. Lovely people as well as excellent singers, Kevin will be much missed. Our heartfelt commiserations to Ellen.

Subject: RE: Obit: Kevin Mitchell December 2022
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 02 Jan 23 - 03:02 PM

Very sad news. Yes Kevin was a great singer and we will miss him. Love and best wishes to Ellen

Subject: RE: Obit: Kevin Mitchell December 2022
From: Vic Smith
Date: 02 Jan 23 - 03:09 PM

Kevin Mitchell sings Gosforth's Fair Demesne

Subject: RE: Obit: Kevin Mitchell December 2022
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 02 Jan 23 - 03:10 PM

Sad sad news. A big influence on me when I was a young man, and a friend in my later years. God rest him. He was a great singer with a good knowledge of his material. Mally and I will miss him. I echo Geoff, with love and best wishes to Ellen.

Subject: RE: Obit: Kevin Mitchell December 2022
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 02 Jan 23 - 03:16 PM

Kevin Mitchell Top tracks on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n4F7GLvTBFnwYU9yb3crLbXMFxHCZO_ms

Subject: RE: Obit: Kevin Mitchell December 2022
From: Vic Smith
Date: 02 Jan 23 - 03:29 PM

Though you have to be careful with Geoff's above link because some of the songs listed are by a different (and in my opinion much inferior) singer of the same name.

Subject: RE: Obit: Kevin Mitchell December 2022
From: The Sandman
Date: 02 Jan 23 - 03:52 PM

Oh how sad, a wonderful singer Condolences to his family/

Subject: RE: Obit: Kevin Mitchell December 2022
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 02 Jan 23 - 04:37 PM

Lovely fellow, he and Ellen were such a warm friendly couple, and a joy to listen to.
Very sad news indeed.

Subject: RE: Obit: Kevin Mitchell December 2022
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 02 Jan 23 - 06:57 PM

Very sorry to hear this: also et Kevin and Ellen at a number of traditional singing events, as well as seeing him as part of the great group, Stramash. My condolences to Ellen and family.

Subject: RE: Obit: Kevin Mitchell December 2022
From: GUEST,Bob Blair
Date: 03 Jan 23 - 05:37 AM

Just to let folks know.
Kevin’s funeral will be a private family affair.

What a man what a voice. For 40 odd years it was my privilege and joy to sit along side him in Stramash.

Let me share one of these moments with you. Kevin sings an usual song for him “The orange maid of Sligo”

https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZbn9SVZq5WoXaNw2OBuCHD8PYvlLJJfkQQk

Subject: RE: Obit: Kevin Mitchell December 2022
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 03 Jan 23 - 09:41 AM

The early collectors lamented that the old singers were dying off fast. Now we're losing more and more stars of the Revival. They say all good things come to an end, but that doesn't make it any less sad.

Subject: RE: Obit: Kevin Mitchell December 2022
From: GUEST,Tim Edwards
Date: 03 Jan 23 - 02:55 PM

Just heard this dreadful news - Kevin was a lovely man and my very favourite singer since I first heard him back in the 70's. My thoughts are with Ellen and the family.

Subject: RE: Obit: Kevin Mitchell December 2022
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Jan 23 - 05:15 PM

Does anyone have an address for the family a friend in Derry wants to send condolences

Subject: RE: 2022 Obit: Kevin Mitchell - December
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 04 Jan 23 - 06:51 AM

What awful news to start the year. A fine, fine singer was Kevin.
Deepest sympathies and condolences to Ellen and the family.

Subject: RE: 2022 Obit: Kevin Mitchell - December
From: GUEST,Sheila Miller, London, UK (guest)
Date: 04 Jan 23 - 08:09 AM

Ellen's address is 41B Beaconsfield Road, Glasgow
G12 0NN, for those who want to send condolences. I sent mine yesterday.
I knew Kevin was seriously ill with mesothelioma, from his years in the building trade; when he told me about it, some time ago, he knew it was terminal, but they couldn't tell him whether he had months or years to live. I hoped it would be years, of course, and hoped to visit them both when I next got to Glasgow (something I haven't managed for three years). I'm very sad that neither of those things happened.

Subject: RE: 2022 Obit: Kevin Mitchell - December
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 04 Jan 23 - 11:34 AM

Kevin was indeed a fine singer and he will be sorely missed. I was so sorry to hear this news. I have added his name to the "In Memoriam" thread and send my condolences to all those who know and love him.
RIP

Subject: RE: 2022 Obit: Kevin Mitchell - December
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 04 Jan 23 - 04:34 PM

Very sorry to hear this sad news - deepest sympathies to Ellen and family.

Kitty

Subject: RE: 2022 Obit: Kevin Mitchell - December
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Jan 23 - 04:49 PM

I don't find a Facebook page or account, and no announcement seems to be published, but a search comes up with information others have posted, such as the two below:

From Hugh Jordan

Kevin Mitchell, the renowned Irish traditional singer, died in his adopted city of Glasgow, three days before Christmas. He recorded several albums, some with his talented Glasgow born wife Ellen. He emigrated to Glasgow in 1969. Kevin was born in St. Columb's Wells in Derry, but he was reared in Springtown Camp and later Creggan. As a young man, he regularly competed at Derry Feiseanna. An Irish speaker, Kevin had a vast repertoire of songs in both Gaelic and English, some of which he learned from Corney McDaid, a traditional singer from Meentahalla, Buncrana, Co. Donegal.

From Vincent Doherty

Just hearing today in messages from my old friends and fellow songsters George Duff and Francie Devine, of the passing of my good friend Kevin Mitchell at his home in Glasgow. He was the greatest singer that ever came out of Derry, and my main inspiration as a singer. I would never have been a traditional singer if I'd never heard Kevin sing. I still sing songs from his wonderful early 1970'S album "Free and Easy" which is a good description of both his singing style, and also his relationship with his beautiful wife Ellen. I had the privilege over the last few years of meeting and visiting Kevin and Ellen during regular trips to Glasgow and one memorable night in Edinburgh. Like myself Kevin was a Season Book holder at Celtic, a proud Derryman, a man after my own heart. My deepest sympathy to Ellen and the Mitchell family in Glasgow, Derry and beyond. A bright star has gone out, but his memory will never fade.

Subject: RE: 2022 Obit: Kevin Mitchell - December
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 04 Jan 23 - 06:54 PM

Pleased to see a mention of Corney McDaid. I had a long conversation with Kevin about his singing. Seek him out on YouTube if you are not familiar with him, then raise a glass to Kevin.

Subject: RE: 2022 Obit: Kevin Mitchell - December
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Jan 23 - 03:46 PM

Sorry to hear of the death of Kevin Mitchell.I knew him as a young man growing up in Derry,where he was a member of Conradh na Gaeilge.He was an Irish speaker and great friend of Johnny Gallagher,who I believe encouraged Kevin in his interest in traditional singing and culture.
Ar dheis Dhé go raibh a anam uasal.

Subject: RE: 2022 Obit: Kevin Mitchell - December
From: Felipa
Date: 08 Jan 23 - 04:02 PM

I never heard Kevin sing in Irish, though he had at least a couple of songs translated from Irish to English in his repetoire.

Subject: RE: 2022 Obit: Kevin Mitchell - December
From: Felipa
Date: 09 Jan 23 - 07:27 AM

I am wondering was Johnny Gallagher, who the unfortunately anonymous guest mentioned yesterday, the same man I knew as Seán Ó Gallchobair. One of Seán's daughters, Maureen, was the partner of Kevin's brother Bobby. I was thinking of both Bobby and Kevin when I was in Sandinos bar on 27 Dec. I didn't learn of Kevin's death until the beginning of the new year, so I was wondering that Tuesday how Kevin and Ellen were, and hoping they might get back to Derry to sing for us again.