Charlie Watts, the longtime drummer for the Rolling Stones whose sense of calm grounded the band for more than 50 years, has died, his spokesperson confirms. He was 80.
Charlie Watts.David Wolff - Patrick/Redferns
“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,” the statement continued. “We kindly request that the privacy of his family, band members and close friends is respected at this difficult time.”
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Watts — who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside his bandmates in 1989 —recently underwent an unspecified medical procedure, which a spokesperson said earlier this month was “completely successful.”
Though the band is slated to head on tour this fall, the spokesperson told PEOPLE that Watts was unlikely to join them, as he needed “proper rest and recuperation.”
“With rehearsals starting in a couple of weeks it’s very disappointing to say the least, but it’s also fair to say no one saw this coming,” the spokesperson added at the time.
In a statement of his own, Watts joked that for once, his timing was “a little off,” and that he was “working hard to get fully fit” before stepping behind his drum kit once more.
The Rolling Stones.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Watts previously underwent treatment for throat cancer in 2004.
Paul McCartneywas among the many to pay tribute to Watts, and called his death a “huge blow” to the Stones in avideo messageshared to Twitter.
“Charlie was a fantastic drummer, steady as a rock,” McCartney said. “Love you, Charlie. I’ve always loved you. Beautiful man.”
Elton Johnalso offered his condolences in a Twittertributethat called Watts “the ultimate drummer.”
“A very sad day,” he wrote. “The most stylish of men, and such brilliant company. My deepest condolences to Shirley, Seraphina and Charlotte. And of course, The Rolling Stones.”
The Rolling Stones.Samir Hussein/WireImage
Soon, he was playing jazz in London nightclubs, and on Jan. 14, 1963, played his first gig with the Rolling Stones at the Flamingo Club.
“When we got Charlie, that really made it for us,” Keith Richards said, according toRolling Stone.
He’d remain on stage alongside Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, Bill Wyman, Mick Taylor and more for more than 50 years, releasing nearly two dozen studio albums over the last half a century and cementing his place as a rock ‘n’ roll legend.
The Rolling Stones in 2019.Kevin Winter/Getty
Watts married wife Shirley in 1964, and toldNMEin 2018 that the reason his marriage was so successful was “because I’m not really a rockstar.”
“I don’t have all the trappings of that… I’ve never been interested in doing interviews or being seen,” he said. “I love it and I do interviews because I want people to come and see the band. The Rolling Stones exist because people come to the shows.”
In the same interview, Watts said that he hadn’t given much thought to retiring, though he did think the band might call it quits at the end of each tour.
“I hope [when it ends] that everyone says, ‘That’ll be it.’ I’d hate for it to be a bloody big argument,” he said. “But to say this is the last show wouldn’t be a particularly sad moment, not to me anyway. I’ll just carry on as I was yesterday or today.”
source: people.com
