When one hears Mazzy Star, the song, Fade into You is undoubtedly what comes into their mind. The alternative rock band formed in Santa Monica in 1988 was the remnants of Opal, another rock group.
Mazzy Star dominated the rock scene for around a decade and gained resurgence in the early 2010s. And one individual who was with the group in every stage was drummer Keith Mitchell.
Keith was one of Mazzy Star's original band members and drummed on all four of the group's studio albums. He found much fame with the Mazzy Star and other punk rock groups. So, today let's look into the life of the late drummer.
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Grew Up Playing Various Musical Instruments
Keith Mitchell was a Long Beach native who was one of four kids of Charlotte Mitchell. He grew up alongside his brothers Craig Mitchell and Brian Mitchell and sister, Mary Ellen Mitchell.
Keith was musically inclined and reportedly played instruments like guitar and tuba before picking up drumming as a child. He was a Boy Scout and Tribe of Tahquitz member and attended Wilson High School and Millikan High School.
Since the Mazzy Star drummer was interested in music from an early age, we can assume that his parents were supportive of his dreams. Moreover, Keith Mitchell's mother must be proud of all he achieved in his short life.
Keith Mitchell Net Worth And Career
Aforementioned, the late drummer was into music from an early age and knew how to play multiple instruments. So, it is no surprise that he chose to pursue a career in music, and his earnings as a drummer heavily influenced Keith Mitchell's net worth.
Income From Early Music Career
After picking up drumming while in Boy Scout, Keith Mitchell played with various cover bands at bars. He then started a country-western band and toured nationwide with the group. Before joining Opal, Keith auditioned to be a drummer for Monitor, an experimental band touring in LA.
After joining Opal, Keith performed alongside David Roback and Kendra Smith. But after Kendra left the group, Hope Sandoval joined as vocalist, and the band toured Europe in early 1988. After that, the group disbanded, giving birth to Mazzy Star.
Here is a song by Opal, which was later released on one of Mazzy Star's albums.
While his initial music career was spent hopping from one band to another, Keith must have earned a respectable amount. In addition, he went on a nationwide tour with his country-western band, which might have helped him pocket a significant amount.
Since Keith was also a significant member of Opal, the tours he went on with the band must have been financially beneficial for the drummer.
Earnings From Mazzy Star
Keith Mitchell was one of the founding members of Mazzy Star and played in all four studio albums released by the band to date. Their debut album, She Hangs Brightly, was released by Rough Trade Records on May 21, 1990. It was later re-released by Capitol in November of the same year and did well in terms of sales.
The band's follow-up album, So Tonight That I Might See, was released in 1993. After this, Mazzy Star put out two more records with Keith Mitchell in drums and Suki Ewers on the keyboard. The albums and their respective price as listed on Amazon are given below:
| Albums | Prices |
| She Hangs Brightly | $11.49 (MP3) |
| So Tonight That I Might See | $13.98 (Audio CD) |
| Among My Swan | $$7.99 (MP3) |
| Seasons of Your Day | $11.85 (Audio CD) |
Since he was featured in all four aforementioned albums, their sales undoubtedly influenced Keith Mitchell's net worth. Mazzy Star was a well-renowned band loved by thousands, if not millions.
Therefore, the album and single sales might have played a huge role in increasing Keith's fortune. Furthermore, Mazzy Star's most popular song, Fade into You, reached no.3 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and also appeared on Billboard Hot 100.
Another drummer who found fame from his career in the music world is Paul Doucette.
Was Keith Mitchell Married?
Unlike many other rock artists of his time, the Mazzy Star drummer was very private about his life. So, if Keith was ever married to anyone is a mystery.
Moreover, throughout his days as a drummer, he kept his love life secret so, who Keith Mitchell's girlfriend was at that time is unclear. Despite the secrecy surrounding his relationships, we do know that Keith welcomed two kids.
Is Survived By Two Sons
As mentioned above, the Mazzy Star drummer might not have been open about his romantic relationships, but he did welcome two children in his life. Keith is survived by Paul Mitchell and Kieran Matias. As per Paul, the drummer was away on tours for most of his childhood.
Among Keith Mitchell's sons, Paul followed in his footsteps and is the founding member of Brook Lee Catastrophe, a Long Beach Americana band. He and the band also joined the Mazzy Star during their 2012 tour as the opening act of select shows.
As for Keith's other son, Kieran Matias prefers to avoid the spotlight. Nonetheless, the father-son duo might have shared a close bond when Keith was alive.
Keith Mitchell's Death And Legacy
Aforementioned, the Long Beach native found immense success as a drummer in various bands and has generated quite a big following. Sadly, Mazzy Star's Facebook page shared that Keith Mitchell passed away but, the cause behind his demise was not revealed then.
The news came as a surprise to many as fans were not privy to Keith's personal battles. But, Keith Mitchell's sister, Mary Ellen Mitchell, later revealed that the drummer had been battling cancer for a short while before succumbing to the disease on May 14, 2017.
Tributes began pouring in immediately after the news about Keith's death broke. Fans of Mazzy Star took to various social media to share kind words about the drummer. Hope Sandoval also talked about the impact Keith had on her life.
Keith Mitchell's former Mazzy Star bandmate, Hope Sandoval shared her memories with the drummer after his untimely death. Image Source: Mazzy Star Facebook.
Moreover, Juan Gomez, a founding member of The Romans, and Keith Mithcell's former bandmate shared his memory. Juan talked about Keith's love for the art of music and stated that the drummer was Buddy Rich of the punk rock scene.
Hearing other musicians talk about Keith gives us an idea about how much the man loved his job and his immense knowledge about music. He left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to meet and work with him.
And while Keith Mitchell is no longer with us, his former bandmates and son, Paul, is continuing his legacy through music.
Trivia And Fun Facts
- While Keith Mitchell was "Big Fella" to Mazzy Star members, he was known as "Big Beat" among his former bandmates from Monitor and The Romans.
- As per Hope Sandoval, Keith introduced her to music from Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, and many others.
