If there is a band that is as popular as the Beatles or considered their rival then that would be the Rolling Stones. Both these bands were formed in the 60s and they were giving hit after hit. Specifically speaking, the Rolling Stones was formed in 1962 and they are one of the best-selling bands of all time with more than 240 million records sold globally.
Furthermore, many believe that the reason why they became this successful was because of a key member Charlie Watts who joined the band as a drummer in January of 1963. His drums made the Rolling Stones’ music more alive than it already was which helped them grow further than before.
Moreover, Charlie is someone who is respected by every music artist because he has inspired hundreds and thousands of drummers. He inspired drummers like Dave Grohl, Ringo Starr, Nick Mason, and many more. So his passing saddened all rock music fans and there were many music artists who paid him tribute.
What about his own bandmates? did they pay tribute to him? well, obviously they did without a question. They were like a family and it really broke the heart of other band members after Charlie’s passing. The frontman of the band Mick Jagger shared that it was a huge loss and he also said other things about Charlie, which we will be discussing in this article.
What did Mick Jagger say about Charlie Watts?
As mentioned Jagger and others were shattered by Charlie’s death and it was really hard for them to deal with his passing. Jagger paid an emotional on-stage tribute to his old friend at the Rolling Stones’ first concert after Charlie’s death. Not only that but he also talked about Watts in an interview where he said that Charlie was really an important member who held all of them together.
He told Rolling Stone magazine, “He held the band together for so long, musically, because he was the rock the rest of it was built around. The thing he brought was this beautiful sense of swing and swerve that most bands wish they could have. We had some really nice conversations in the last couple of years about how all this happened with the band. It’s a huge loss to us all. It’s very, very hard.”
As mentioned it was really hard for Jagger to cope with Charlie’s death. Furthermore, the remaining band members even replaced the official website of the Rolling Stones with Watts’ picture for straight ten days as a tribute. Along with Jagger other bandmates also spoke about Charlie and said the same thing.
Keith Richards spoke of Watts’ amazing sense of humor and also said that Charlie was the “engine” of the band. Furthermore, he later spoke of his amazing drumming skills and said that he was the best drummer England ever produced. Likewise, Ronnie Wood was not going to keep quiet about his friend. He said that they were mind blown when they heard the news of Charlie’s passing. He said that Watts’ spirit still lives and plays with them.
Charlie was 80 years old at the time of his death. It has already been a year since the legendary drummer’s passing. He died back on 24 August 2021, at a London hospital.
Furthermore, it was not revealed how he died however, later Keith Richards explained that Watts was battling throat cancer since 2004 however, there has not been any official statement that says Watts died of throat cancer, and more than that, he was said to be recovered fully from cancer so it is still unknown what killed him. And certainly, Watts’ death saddens not only the Rolling Stones but every fan of theirs. We will always be missing and remember him as one of the greatest drummers.
