Rolling Stones Drummer Charlie Watts Dead at Age 80

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Charlie Watts (Photo credit: Victoria Will/Invision/AP)

Charlie Watts, the Rolling Stones drummer for nearly 60 years, died on Tuesday in London. He was 80. His death, in a London hospital, was announced by his publicist, Bernard Doherty. "It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts. He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family. 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."

Earlier this month, The Rolling Stones announced that Watts would not be a part of the band's "No Filter" tour in the U.S. after he had undergone an unspecified emergency medical procedure, which the band reportedly said had been successful.

The following bio is courtesy of Benztown:

The son of a truck driver, Charles Robert "Charlie" Watts was born in Bloomsbury, London, on June 2, 1941, and he started drumming around age 13 after he was inspired by a recording of Chico Hamilton playing Gerry Mulligan. Never taking drum lessons, his first drum was actually a banjo head that he played with brushes. His parents bought him his first real drum kit in 1955, and he practiced by playing along to Charlie Parker and Duke Ellington records. He went on to study graphic design at the Harrow School of Art. His first job was in advertising and, in his spare time, Watts wrote and published a children's book about jazz legend Charlie Parker called "Ode to a High Flying Bird." Three years later, Watts began his professional musical career in a jazz band called the Jo Jones All Stars. In 1961, Watts joined Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated. In 1962, Jones formed the Rolling Stones with singer Mick Jagger, pianist Ian Stewart and guitarists Keith Richards and Dick Taylor. Watts turned down the group's first offer for him to join, finally conceding and playing his first gig with them in January 1963.

Known for his swinging, loose drumming style, Charlie Watts was declared "rock's greatest drummer" by music critic Robert Christgau. Watts was voted into Modern Drummer magazine's Hall of Fame in 2006 (joining other legends like Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, and Buddy Rich) and was named the 12th greatest drummer of all time by Rolling Stone. The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. A foil to his colorful bandmates, Watts was known as an anti-rock star of sorts, preferring a private existence with his family on his estate in Devon in southwest England. A heavy smoker, Watts was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2004 but fully recovered. He was married to his wife Shirley Ann Shepherd for 57 years.

Watts also enjoyed a solo jazz career outside of the Stones, playing alongside longtime Stones pianist Stewart in the band Rocket 88, releasing several albums with his Charlie Watts Quintet and the 32-piece Charlie Watts Orchestra, and performing at London's famous Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club with his big band, Charlie Watts & the Tentet. In 2000, he collaborated with another drumming great, Jim Keltner, on the electronica-leaning Charlie Watts/Jim Keltner Project. In more recent years, Watts formed an old school blues band called the ABC&D of Boogie Woogie, preferring to play in intimate clubs. He continued to play with the Stones, most recently on the European leg of the band's "No Filter" tour in 2018.

Watts is survived by his wife, Shirley Ann Shepherd; his daughter, Seraphina; his granddaughter, Charlotte; and his step-grandson, Dylan.

Steve Jordan, drummer of Keith Richards' group the X-Pensive Winos, was chosen to replace him for The Stones' upcoming show dates.

Benztown has released an audio tribute to Charlie Watts and it can be heard here. The Benztown Audio Tribute to Charlie Watts was written and voiced by Bill Royal and produced by Mike Lindsay.