Ian Mitchell, Bay City Rollers bassist, dead at 62

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Bay City Rollers bassist Ian Mitchell has died, Fox News has confirmed. He was 62.

"We are deeply saddened by the news of Ian Mitchell’s death," the band wrote in a post shared to their official Facebook page on Tuesday alongside a black-and-white photo of a young Mitchell. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Wendy, their family and friends. Rest In Peace, Ian."

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Reps for the band confirmed he died within the first two days of the month after "a short battle with throat cancer."

The Bay City Rollers were a group of Scottish teen idols, most popular in the 1970s.

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Mitchell joined the band in 1976 for only a few months in the midst of a period known as "Rollermania" in the United Kingdom, according to Variety.

Brothers Alan and Derek Longmuir started the band in 1964, and the group would go on to make hits like "I Only Want to Be With You" and "Saturday Night."

Ian Mitchell of the Bay City Rollers joined the band at 17 years old in 1976. He has died at the age of 62. (Photo by Jorgen Angel/Redferns)

While the band originally was called the Saxons, they chose a new name for the band by throwing a dart at a map of the United States, which landed on Bay City, Mich.

By 1975, the tartan-clad crew was one of the biggest acts in the U.K., finding success in America under Clive Davis's label.

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Mitchell replaced Alan when he was just 17 years old, but he left in 1977.