Forum The Longship OT: RIP Charlie

OT: RIP Charlie

HA
Joined May 2013
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I absolutely loved the guy.  He just grounded the band, and was always such an important ingredient to their success.Thought it was strange he couldn't go on tour this year.https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/24/entertainment/charlie-watts-dead/index.html

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#1 · Aug 24, 11:24 AM
DE
Joined Apr 2026
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First Don Everly and now Charlie. Tough week for some of my favorite musicians.

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#2 · Aug 24, 12:00 PM
DE
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"It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts," a statement said.
It said he was "a cherished husband, father and grandfather" and "one of the greatest drummers of his generation".
Tributes have come from stars including The Beatles' Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr, and Sir Elton John.
Sir Paul described Watts as "a lovely guy" and "a fantastic drummer" who was "steady as a rock".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
Sir Elton wrote on Twitter: "A very sad day. Charlie Watts was the ultimate drummer. The most stylish of men, and such brilliant company."
The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson said he was "shocked" to hear the news about Watts, who he described as "a great drummer".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
The news came weeks after it was announced that Watts would miss the band's US tour dates to recover from an unspecified medical procedure. Watts was previously treated for throat cancer in 2004.
He had been a member of the Stones since January 1963, when he joined Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Brian Jones in their fledgling group.
Watts helped them become, with The Beatles, one of the bands who took rock 'n' roll to the masses in the 60s with classics like (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Get Off My Cloud and Sympathy for the Devil.
image sourceGetty Imagesimage captionWatts (centre) with his bandmates on stage in 1989
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#3 · Aug 24, 12:16 PM
DE
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The subtle, stoic heartbeat of the Stones

By BBC music reporter Mark Savage
Charlie
Watts was never the most flashy drummer. He wasn't known for the
frenzied solos of Cream's Ginger Baker, or for placing explosives in his
kick drum like The Who's Keith Moon. Instead, he was the subtle, stoic
heartbeat of The Rolling Stones for almost 60 years.
A jazz aficionado, he fell in love with the drums after listening to Chico Hamilton play brushes on Walking Shoes; and was only introduced to the dark arts of rock 'n' roll by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in the early 1960s.
He
joined the Stones in 1963 after the band had discarded several other
drummers - and they never looked back. "Charlie Watts gives me the
freedom to fly on stage," Richards later observed.
His
jazz-inflected swing gave the Stones' songs their swagger, pushing and
pulling at the groove, creating room for Jagger's lascivious drawl.
He
was at his best on the cowbell-driven Honky Tonk Women or the
locked-down groove Gimme Shelter (where he even threw in some
uncharacteristically showy fills).
On
and off the stage, he was quiet and reserved - sticking to the shadows
and letting the rest of the band suck up the limelight.
"I've actually never been interested in all that stuff and still am not," he told the San Diego Tribune in 1991.
"I don't know what showbiz is and I've never watched MTV. There are
people who just play instruments, and I'm pleased to know that I'm one
of them."
image sourceGetty Imagesimage captionThe Stones, with Watts second right, had eight UK number one singles between 1964-69
Other tributes came from The Sex Pistols' Glen Matlock, who said he "kept the beat to the soundtrack of our lives", while Nile Rodgers wrote: "Thanks for all the great music."

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
Singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading wrote:
"Why am I crying? Because Charlie Watts has died. Who knew that any of
the Rolling Stones musicians would ever leave this earth."
Fellow singerCurtis Stigers said:
"My mom always claimed I was conceived during the chorus of
Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones. Thank you, Charlie Watts. I owe you
my life."
image sourceReutersimage captionSir Mick Jagger with Charlie Watts in 2005
The
statement from the Rolling Stones' publicist said: "He passed away
peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by
his family.
"We kindly request that the privacy of his family, band members and close friends is respected at this difficult time."
In 2016, Watts was ranked 12th in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest drummers of all time.
He is survived by his wife Shirley, daughter Seraphina and granddaughter Charlotte.

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#4 · Aug 24, 12:16 PM
DE
Joined Apr 2026
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Always loved Charlie's playing style. Much like Keith Richards he played to serve the song, not himself. 

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#5 · Aug 24, 12:20 PM
DE
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#6 · Aug 25, 5:59 AM
DE
Joined Apr 2026
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We need to start to think about the world we are leaving for Keef.

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#7 · Aug 25, 6:58 AM
DE
Joined Apr 2026
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This is from Keef's twitter page:

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#8 · Aug 25, 7:19 AM
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Forum The Longship OT: RIP Charlie
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