Rolling Stones drummer, Charlie Watts, who anchored and provided the back beat for one of rock’s longest running bands, has died. Charlie had just turned 80 this past June.
According to his publicist, Bernard Doherty, Watts “passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family.”
“Charlie was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also as a member of The Rolling Stones one of the greatest drummers of his generation,” Doherty said.
Watts had previously announced he would not tour with the Stones in 2021 because of an undefined health issue.
Charlie Watts joined the Rolling Stones in early 1963 and provided the band’s tempo for the next 60 years, ranking just behind Mick Jagger and Keith Richards as the group’s longest lasting member.
—
Photo Credit: Grand Warszawski / Shutterstock.com