His life is a Montgomery story. It's an Alabama story. It’s a musical story.
Robert Mitchell "Mitch" Alton III died January 6 at age 73 after 60 years of live and recorded music.
He was the face and voice of one of Alabama’s longest-lived groups, The GateBand. He founded GateBand while a student at the University of Alabama. He had started collaborating with musical friends in bands as far back as Montgomery’s Cloverdale Junior High School.
Interview with GateBand member and later State Rep. Ham Wilson, Jr. and video of the performance at Montgomery’s Capitol Oyster Bar can be found here.
Mitch graduated from Montgomery’s Jefferson Davis High School, the University of Alabama and Jones School of Law. He was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega social fraternity and the Red Elephant Club at the university. He also served his country as a member of the Army National Guard.
Mitch spent most of his legal career as an attorney for the Alabama Department of Transportation. After retiring, he and wife "Dixie" (Mary Dixon Torbert) made their home in Auburn while Mitch continued to sing lead and harmony vocals for GateBand.
Mitch and GateBand released a studio CD in 1995.
One Mitch story will live forever in the memories of his Montgomery friends. Things like this just don’t happen. Mitch and GateBand were playing at the iconic Boomerang, a nightclub across from Garrett Coliseum on Montgomery’s Federal Drive; in walks a surprise visitor. He joins Mitch at the microphone. It was Willie Nelson.
Look closely at the Boomerang photos and you can see Willie Nelson, Mitch, Ham Wilson, Jr., (later elected state representative) and who else?
Friend Dwight Williams of Locust Fork Band stated, "Sad news to send out today. We lost Mitch Alton this morning. Mitch, one of the two incredible singers for the Gate Band, had been sick for a little while, and we are all devastated by this. Locust Fork and the Gate Band were always crossing paths back in the day. We would sometimes arrange it so that we would take breaks at different times so we could sit in with each other. Then Bill and I started playing with them and it has been a joy.
"Mitch was such a great friend and he is already very much missed.
"Please keep Dixie and all of Mitch’s family and friends in your prayers in the coming days.
"We love you Mitch."
Friend John Tisdale said, "I worked with Mitch at The Attorney General’s Office under Bill Baxley in the summer of 1975. Mitch helped introduce me to Willie Nelson and The Grateful Dead, among others."
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to East Alabama Community Foundation, P.O. Box 775, Opelika, AL 36801, or a charity of your choice.
Mitch’s memory will live on through the music he loved and the people he touched. May those who knew him find comfort in celebrating the life he so richly embraced.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler writes about Alabama’s people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com.
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