Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts dies at 80
Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, the stylish sticksman who helped power the British band through a half-century of international superstardom, has died at age 80.
“It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts,” his spokesperson said in a statement last Tuesday shared by the legendary band’s social media.
Watts, whose virtuoso stylings ranged from jazz to hard-driving rock and roll, “passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family,” the spokesperson, Bernard Doherty, said.
“Charlie was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also as a member of The Rolling Stones one of the greatest drummers of his generation,” Doherty said.
Watts announced earlier this month he would not be able to join the Stones’ pandemic-postponed No Filter tour in 2021 because an undefined medical procedure led to a longer-thanexpected recovery.
“For once my timing has been a little off. I am working hard to get fully fit, but I have today accepted on the advice of the experts that this will take a while,” Watts said in a statement. “
Watts said he didn’t want fans holding tickets for the tour to be disappointed by another postponement or cancellation, so he asked his “great friend” Steve Jordan, 64, to stand in for him.
“It is an absolute honor and a privilege to be Charlie’s understudy,” Jordan, a longtime member of guitarist Keith Richards’ group the X-Pensive Winos, said at the time.
“We really look forward
to welcoming Charlie back as soon as he is fully recovered. Thank you to our friend Steve Jordan for stepping in, so we can still play all the shows for you this fall,” Stones singer Mick Jagger said in a Twitter post Aug. 5.
Known for his sharply tailored suits and bright smile, Watts powered the Stones’ rhythm section for more than half a century after joining
Jagger and Keith Richards in 1963.
He described the group’s genesis as “white blokes from England playing Black American music,” but they went on to create their own instantly recognizable classics beloved by millions.
Watts was ranked No. 12 on Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Greatest Drummers of All Time” list in 2016.
Condolences for Watts’ family poured in, with Beatles star Paul McCartney leading the way.
“So sad to hear about Charlie Watts,” McCartney said in a video posted on social media, calling Watts a “beautiful man.”
“Lots of love to his family, his wife and kids and his extended family, and condolences to The Stones. It’s a huge blow to them because Charlie was a rock, and a fantastic drummer. Steady as a rock,” McCartney said.
“Charlie Watts was the most elegant and dignified drummer in rock and roll. He played exactly what was needed — no more — no less. He is one of a kind,” fellow rocker Joan Jett tweeted.
“I’m just shocked to hear about Charlie Watts. I don’t know what to say, I feel terrible for Charlie’s family. Charlie was a great drummer and I loved the Stones music, they made great records,” Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson said.