Who was Charlie Watts?

Charlie Watts was a world-renowned musician who put life into the songs produced by Rolling Stones for decades. He described his journey with the band as five years of playing and 20 years of hanging out. 

Watts, who was known to often skip the limelight and stardom that often came along with his art, seemed to have a knack for producing music since the early stages of his life. He was not always the drummer kind but media reports suggest he was also a jazz aficionado. 

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According to reports from BBC, Watts garnered an early interest in jazz music and spent a lot of time listening to musical pieces from artists like Jelly Roll Morton and Charlie Parker. 

Charles Robert Watts was born in London‘s University College Hospital on 2 June 1941 and was brought up in the Kingsbury area, which is now a part of London Borough of Brent.

Watts completed his studies at the Harrow Art School in the United Kingdom and later went on to work at a local advertising agency as a graphic designer. However, music found its way into his life at a young age when his father purchased a drum kit for him, which he used to jam with jazz music.

After Watts started taking up frequent gigs at local clubs and pubs in the United Kingdom in 1961, he was first offered a role in the band Blues Incorporated. This step kicked off his career as a British musician.

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Brian Jones, a key member and guitarist for the band Blues Incorporated, introduced Watts to the Rolling Stones, which was at that time a struggling band as their drummer Tony Chapman had quit, according to reports from BBC.

Watts’ spokesperson on Tuesday confirmed that the drummer had died at the age of 80. The spokesperson said, “He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family.” The statement also described Watts as a “cherished husband, father and grandfather and also as a member of the Rolling Stones, one of the greatest drummers of his generation.”