Rolling Stones Drummer Charlie Watts Dies at 80

Aug. 25, 2021 -- It’s a bittersweet clip for Stones fans. Charlie Watts, drummer for the iconic Rolling Stones, passed distant Tuesday astatine a infirmary successful London. The origin of decease is unknown.

He was 80 years old.

''It is with immense sadness that we denote the decease of our beloved Charlie Watts. He passed distant peacefully successful a London infirmary earlier contiguous surrounded by his family," his spokesperson said successful a statement. “We kindly petition that the privateness of his family, set members and adjacent friends is respected astatine this hard time.''

His passing comes earlier the legendary stone radical is acceptable to footwear disconnected its “No Filter” circuit connected Sept. 26 successful St. Louis. Watts’s spokesperson enactment retired a statement earlier this period saying that helium would not beryllium joining the circuit aft having an unspecified aesculapian procedure.

Watts is survived by bandmates Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood.

The drummer, known for being much reserved than flashy bandmates similar Jagger, is often referred to arsenic the “backbone” of the Rolling Stones and 1 of the top drummers of each time.

Celebrities, including different stone ’n’ rotation icons, are expressing their sympathies connected societal media.

“So atrocious to perceive the precise bittersweet quality of Charlie Watts passing. He was specified a bully feline and a large power successful the music concern -- he’ll beryllium sadly missed,” Tony Iommi, pb guitarist for Black Sabbath, tweeted.

“A precise bittersweet day. Charlie Watts was the eventual drummer,” Elton John tweeted. “The astir stylish of men, and specified superb company.”

Watts was calved connected June 2, 1941, successful London. His philharmonic abilities were evident astatine an early age, and his archetypal emotion was jazz music, CNN reported.

He joined the Rolling Stones successful 1963, and the radical went onto merchandise smash hits similar “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Sympathy For The Devil,” and “Paint it Black.”

Watts lived with his wife, Shirley Ann Shepherd, successful London. The mates joined successful 1964. They had 1 daughter, Seraphina.

Watts, a smoker until the 1980s, was diagnosed with throat cancer successful 2004. He is said to person afloat recovered.

Even with the monolithic occurrence of the Rolling Stones, Watts’s passionateness for jazz ne'er died.

In betwixt performances with the Rolling Stones, helium formed the Charlie Watts Orchestra, a 32-piece band, successful the 1980s and enactment retired aggregate albums with the Charlie Watts Quintet successful the 1990s.

The Rolling Stones is considered 1 of the top stone ’n’ rotation bands of each time, and Watts was pb drummer for much than 50 years.