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Ian Mitchell, Bay City Rollers bassist, dead at 62

Mitchell had a short stint with the Scottish band near the height of the group's popularity.

Ian Mitchell, a former bassist for the Bay City Rollers, has died. He was 62.

The band posted the news on its Facebook page Tuesday.

"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," the band posted.

The group did not disclose the cause of death.

The Scottish band was one of the iconic groups of the mid-1970s. It hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts with "Saturday Night" in 1976. It also made the top 10 with "Money Honey" and "You Made Me Believe In Magic."

Mitchell joined the band in 1976, more than a decade after its founding according to Variety, at the height of the UK's "Rollermania" era. He was with the band for just a few months, but it was near the peak of the group's popularity.

The band was originally known as the Saxons but decided a name change was needed. Variety reports -- based on a legend -- the band decided on Rollers then added "Bay City" when someone threw a dart at a map and it landed near Bay City, Michigan.

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