Legendary Rolling Stones Drummer Charlie Watts Dead at 80
Charlie Watts, the legendary drummer for The Rolling Stones, has died. He was 80 years old. The news came via a statement from his publicist, Bernard Doherty.
“It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts," Doherty said [via NBC News].
"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. We kindly request that the privacy of his family, band members and close friends is respected at this difficult time.’’
Watts joined The Rolling Stones in 1963 and remained their drummer for over five decades. He's the only member of the band aside from Mick Jagger and Keith Richards to have played on all of their studio albums, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the group in 1989.
"The Stones were just another gig, but then we started touring around England... I was waiting to start another job, but I never went back to it," Watts told the Guardian of when he joined The Rolling Stones.
"I was a bit out of sync with all of them, Brian [Jones], Mick and Keith, but Keith taught me to listen to Buddy Holly and things like that. Mick taught me a lot about playing with songs, really, the melodies and that."
In addition to the Stones, the drummer released several studio albums between 1986 and 2012 with the Charlie Watts Quintet, The Charlie Watts-Jim Keltner Project and The ABC&D of Boogie Woogie.
We send our condolences to Watts' loved ones and fans. Rest in peace.