Northern Ireland musician and former Bay City Rollers member Ian Mitchell has passed away.
The musician, who played bass with the Scottish pop band, was mourned by his fellow band mates, who broke the news on social media.
A post on the Bay City Rollers' Facebook page reads: "We are deeply saddened by the news of Ian Mitchell’s death. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Wendy, their family and friends. Rest In Peace, Ian.
"If you wish to leave your condolences, please do so in the comments below."
Fellow band mate Stuart Wood said in a further post on Facebook: "Very sad, sad news about Ian Mitchell. We’d like to send our love and condolences to Wendy and all Ian’s family and friends… you are in our hearts.
"I have many fond memories of Ian not only in the BCR days but also when we played together in the 80’s with The Passengers… great guys and great days! You will sorely be missed Ian…"
Mitchell joined the Bay City Rollers in 1976, at the age of just 17, where he replaced founding member Alan Longmuir.
Previous to this, he had been a noted musician in Belfast, performing for a number of bands in clubs throughout the city.
Mitchell's tenure with the Bay City Rollers lasted just seven months, during which time he helped record their album Dedication and a cover of Dusty Springfield's 'I Only Want To Be With You', which proved to be a hit. This period is widely considered to be the band's most successful.
Mitchell went on to form the band Rosetta Stone, before quitting in 1979. He then launched the Ian Mitchell Band in the same year.
In later years, Mitchell worked on a number of solo projects as well as occasionally taking part in reunion gigs for the Bay City Rollers and Rosetta Stone.
