The Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts performs on stage during their "No Filter" tour at NRG Stadium on July 27, 2019 in Houston, Texas
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Charlie Watts – the iconic The Rolling Stones drummer who helped spearhead one of rock’s greatest sounds and joked that he used his “day job” to support his affinity for jazz – has died aged 80.
Bernard Doherty, Watts’ publicist, said that he “passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today (Tuesday) surrounded by his family”. Watts had previously mentioned that he wouldn’t go on tour with the band in 2021 because of an undisclosed health issue.
Naturally, when people found out, they took to social media and shared posts remembering Watts’ legacy.
Fellow bandmates Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood were among those who publicly paid tribute to Watts.
Sir Mick shared a picture of Watts smiling while seated behind a drumkit. The Rolling Stones frontman, 78, did not add a caption. In his tribute, Richards, 77, posted a picture of Watts’s drumkit with a “closed” sign hung on it. He too did not include a caption.
Wood shared a picture of himself and Watts on Twitter, writing alongside it: “I love you my fellow Gemini – I will dearly miss you – you are the best.”
Here are 15 of the other most moving tributes.
1. The ‘ultimate’ drummer
A very sad day. Charlie Watts was the ultimate drummer. The most stylish of men, and such brilliant company. My deepest condolences to Shirley, Seraphina and Charlotte. And of course, The Rolling Stones.
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) August 24, 2021
@therollingstones #CharlieWatts #RIP pic.twitter.com/9rjSSgioZL
2. No matter what Watts’ age is, his death still feels “unexpected”
Charlie Watts has gone. And despite his age it feels so very sad and unexpected. https://t.co/Za9vAD5wjI
— Otto English (@Otto_English) August 24, 2021
3. Watts created the “beat” to the soundtrack of many people’s lives
RIP Charlie Watts.
— Glen Matlock (@GlenMatlock) August 24, 2021
You kept the beat to the soundtrack of our lives.
A sad day. pic.twitter.com/BaVFal7HMP
4. Watts wouldn't let the lack of a drum kit get in the way of his abilities
So incredibly sorry to share the news that Rolling Stone Charlie Watts has passed away. He was a legend who wouldn’t even let the lack of a drum kit get in the way of rocking:pic.twitter.com/kZUpCJRCs1
— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) August 24, 2021
5. Watts was assertive with himself and others
My favorite Charlie Watts story. (Colorful language warning.) pic.twitter.com/cF8N9HMVZh
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) August 24, 2021
6. Undeniable musical ability
Rest In Power #CharlieWatts RIP. You are a smooth brother. Thanks for all the great music. pic.twitter.com/ePlXpiiqNc
— Nile Rodgers (@nilerodgers) August 24, 2021
7. The ‘beating heart’ of the Stones
8. Watts was soft-spoken with “ a wicked sense of humour”
For 7 years, I was grateful to do PR for The Rolling Stones, a band I always considered mine and still in disbelief I worked with.
— Danny Deraney (@DannyDeraney) August 24, 2021
You will never find a man, like Charlie Watts. A kind soft spoken soul with a wicked sense of humor. The best time keeper in rock history. pic.twitter.com/sJcHCVDpR4
9. He did justice to every song he played
Crushed to hear about the death of the great Charlie Watts. The quintessential "in the pocket" rock drummer. Always plays in service of the song, and hyper-focused on being the engine of the ultimate rock band. Also an incredible dresser. Just horrible news. RIP.
— Steven Hyden (@Steven_Hyden) August 24, 2021
10. Watts mastered simplicity and intrigue with his work
RIP to the great Charlie Watts, a brilliant musician who always played to serve the song. He so mastered simplicity that his style almost seemed mysterious—to study his work is to understand how “feel” and swing and the right fill at the right moment can elevate a song
— Mark Richardson (@MarkRichardson) August 24, 2021
11. The music industry will forever be influenced by his contributions
So sorry to hear the very sad news of Charlie Watts passing. He was such a nice guy and a major influence in the music business - he’ll be sadly missed. My deepest condolences to his family and to Mick, Ronnie, Keith and all his friends and fans. R.I.P.
— Tony Iommi (@tonyiommi) August 24, 2021
Tony pic.twitter.com/62veFSUjoz
12. He was ‘completely classy’
Aside from being a unique musician Charlie Watts managed to remain completely classy throughout the whole of the Rolling Stones career. Quite an achievement. #charliewatts
— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) August 24, 2021
13. He was stylish
Charlie Watts style appreciation pic.twitter.com/Ih2RuBr6uW
— Hannah Rose Woods (@hannahrosewoods) August 24, 2021
The Who frontman Roger Daltrey also praised Watts’ style, describing him as “the perfect gentleman, as sharp in his manner of dress as he was on the drums”.
In a statement, he added: “Charlie was a truly great drummer, whose musical knowledge of drumming technique, from jazz to the blues, was, I’m sure, the heartbeat that made The Rolling Stones the best rock and roll band in the world.”
14.Watts seemed to make the most out of everything
So much with so little. RIP Charlie.#charliewatts https://t.co/mWC8PKBHnX
— Nigel Wallis (@Mole_9) August 24, 2021
15.Forever a musical legend
What a shame, a true musical legend #charliewatts pic.twitter.com/oYE1EKfc3r
— Howard Larcombe (@HowardLarcombe) August 24, 2021
When Watts announced that he was to miss the band’s forthcoming US tour, a spokesman said he was “unlikely to be available for the resumption of the Rolling Stones USA No Filter Tour this fall” as he recovered from an unspecified medical procedure.
The band are due to resume the tour Stateside in September, following its postponement last year amid the coronavirus pandemic. Session and touring musician Steve Jordan was previously announced as Watts’s temporary replacement on drums.
Watts said at the time that “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”.
A spokesperson said then that Watts’s procedure had been “completely successful”, but that he needed time to recuperate.
Watts, who was typically elegantly dressed in suit and tie, was frequently compared to Keith Moon, Ginger Baker, and a few others as a top rock drummer, and was revered across the world for his strong, swinging technique as the band went from ragtag origins to international superstardom.
He became a member of the Stones in early 1963 and remained for the following 60 years, ranking third behind Jagger and Richards as the group’s longest-serving member.
The Stones began as “white blokes from England playing Black American music,” according to Watts, but quickly developed their own style. Watts began his career as a jazz drummer and never lost his enthusiasm for the genre, leading his own jazz band and working on a variety of side projects.
Watts, a lover of cricket, married his girlfriend Shirley – who was a sculpture student at the Royal College of Art – in 1964 and the pair had one daughter, Seraphina.
