Drummer Charlie Watts, who laid down the jazz-influenced backbeat for The Rolling Stones for nearly 60 years, died in London on Tuesday morning, according to his spokesperson. No cause of death has been revealed; he was 80 years old. One of the founding members of the group, he had a reputation for always being smartly dressed and often referred to his duties in the Stones as his ‘side-gig’.
A statement from the band and Watts’ spokesperson reads:
“It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts. He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family.
“Charlie was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also 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.”
On August 4, he announced he would not participate in the band’s pandemic-postponed U.S. tour, saying he needed to recover from a “successful” recent medical procedure.
A spokesperson for the band told the media at the time, “Charlie has had a procedure which was completely successful, but I gather his doctors this week concluded that he now needs 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.” Some reports said he had undergone heart surgery.
Although Watts was sidelined with throat cancer in 2004 he had recovered and continued to tour and make appearances. He admitted to going though substance abuse treatment in the 1970s and ’80s.
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