Mick Jagger tragically welcomed drummer Charlie Watts back into the Rolling Stones just days before he died.
Back in July, it was announced that the legendary drummer was pulling out of the band’s upcoming No Filter US tour, after undergoing an unspecified operation.
He was to be replaced by Steve Jordan, and in a poignant post on social media earlier this month, rocker Mick cheerfully revealed that he was looking forward to seeing Charlie back behind his drum kit once he'd recovered.
The 78-year-old rocker shared the post on Twitter and Instagram, and expressed how excited he was to reunite with his old friend.
"We really look forward to welcoming Charlie back as soon as he is fully recovered. Thank you to our friend Steve Jordan for stepping in, so we can still play all the shows for you this fall," Mick wrote.
Guitarist Keith Richards also revealed how he was keen to get back on stage with Charlie once again, and in an emotional post, he confessed that the drummer’s withdrawal from the tour had been a "blow."
"This has been a bit of a blow to all of us, to say the least and we're all wishing for Charlie to have a speedy recovery and to see him as soon as possible. Thank you to Steve Jordan for joining us in the meantime," he said in a social media post.
At the time, a spokesperson for the Rolling Stones said that while Charlie’s mysterious procedure was unexpected, it was “completely successful.”
“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,” they added.
Charlie’s statement announcing his temporary departure from the band’s tour joked about the timing of his operation, but said that doctors had advised him to rest for “a while” following the procedure.
"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,” he said.
Charlie also said that his decision was to help the fans, as he didn’t want them to “suffer” anymore after the tour had already been cancelled by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“After all the fans’ suffering caused by Covid, I really do not want the many RS fans who have been holding tickets for this tour to be disappointed by another postponement or cancellation. I have therefore asked my great friend Steve Jordan to stand in for me,” he said at the time.
Charlie, one of the original members of the Rolling Stones, died on Tuesday, his publicist confirmed.
“It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts,” the statement said. “He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family.”
