Andrea
It is hard to talk about the most outstanding drummer of all time without mentioning Charlie Watts. His contribution to the music industry has been applauded by many across the globe, making him an icon in the rock genre.
The tragic news has been released by his agent: “He died peacefully in a London hospital surrounded by his family”.
Charlie Watts “passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family,” his publicist Bernard Doherty said.
“Charlie was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also as a member of The Rolling Stones, as one of the greatest drummers of his generation.”
Mick Jagger paid a simple tribute to his longtime bandmate on social media, posting an image of Watts laughing while behind a drum kit on stage.
When did Charlie Watts die?
Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, confirmed his publicist, died aged 80, on August 24, 2021.
Watts maintained and patented a way of playing the drums that broke the cliché of spectacularity, grandeur and effect inherent to rock.
Keith Richards shared an image of Watts’s drum kit with a closed sign hanging off it.
When Keith Richards wanted to complement the drummer, he may have indicated that the Rolling Stones who have never been so strong if they had not taken Charlie in.
In fact, Richards mentions that the group “couldn’t afford” him by the time it was being formed since the drummer had already established his roots. At the time, Charlie was playing for the more established Blues Incorporated, a group by Alexis Korner.
Well, it may have been mere luck that the Stones managed to win him over. It was a turning point for the band. On one accession, he completed Richards as being a great man, perhaps one of the reasons that pulled him to their side. But he also said that he needed a great drummer if he was to go anywhere.
Acclaimed by his band peers
This is one of the things that made Charlie stand out. Even though he was an established drummer, he never stopped recognizing others, making him an admirable character. He would tell where there is a problem and offer the most reasonable solution.
He punched Mick Jagger
Charlie was a gifted drummer in many styles. Occasionally, he would turn to the slow and soft jazz side, working on some of the most complicated projects. However, he was a drummer with vigor and incredible energy. Apart from this, he has perfectly complemented Jagger, Richards, and the whole gang with an incredibly swinging groove.
Talk of the “Brown Sugar,” the taut four-on-the-floor rhythms like the “Satisfaction,” and the under-rated impressionism of the “Sympathy of the Devil”, and you will understand what Charlie was truly capable of. These are the tunes that have been on the top lists for more than 50 years.
Watts was the real deal in the band. As Richards records, getting Charlie “really made it for us.” This is a clear indication that the band depended on the drummer for most of the needs to grow.
The Rolling Stones drummer passed away on August 24 at the age of 80
His style of playing drums made it seem as though the drums understand his needs and followed his exact commands. Every project he worked on turned out to be very successful. And it was all because of his style of changing, making every piece feel like he owned it.
He could come up with new styles in every project, making everything he did stand out.
Jim Keltner once commended that Charlie could run like mand and still make everything feel incredible. It was just his style of making sense out of every music project. When asked how he does it, Jim states, “He can’t explain, and I don’t necessarily like going into details…” With such a great style, we can only but enjoy the feeling that comes out of his performance.
Charlie has remained an iconic figure in the industry for many years, and he continues to inspire other drumming enthusiasts. That is his pride and legacy.
