Jock Mitchell

American popular singer who wrote and recorded in the United States and performed in both the United States and Canada. Born July 13, 1944 in Tampa Florida. Mitchell started out with the "Skyliners" a band working out of Tampa Florida. His manager at that time was Henry Rico Urso owner of the Sweetwater Poultry Market. Johnny Flintroy was Mitchell's road manager. As a young 13 year old artist Mitchell went on the road with James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, and the Bobbie Blue Bland. At that time B.B. King mentored Mitchell to continue in show business. Mitchell first recorded "Darling Darling Baby" with Chess Records in 1957 on the same master tape as Chuck Berry. "Little Jake and the Blenders" were the first African-Americans to perform at a Gator Growl celebration in 1960. He has contacted the committee incharge of organizing Gator Growl 2020, Florida Blue Key, that he would like to perform there on October 15, 2010. This performance would be a way to celebrate fifty years of desegregation at the Gator Growl since Black people were not allowed to attend the the Growl prior to 1960. It is felt by many that this event pushed full integration at the University of Florida into full throttle. At the 2010 Growl Mitchell was honored and also featured in the Home Coming Parade. He finished his secondary school at Lincoln High School in 1962 and attended two years of university at Bethune Cookman College until 1964. In 1965 he performed at the Apollo Theater in New York. He recorded with Impact records in Detroit Michigan releasing the songs titled "Work with me Anne", "Not a Chance in a Million", and "I've Gotta Know". In 1965 he recorded with Newtown Records "You Can Make If you Try" the same lable "Patti Labelle and the Blue Bells" recorded on. He owned his own record company Golden Hit Productions in Detroit Michigan from 1966 to 1972. He also owned two night clubs called "Jock Mitchell's Rose Room" named after his wife Rosa Mitchell.