Rock band, The Rolling Stones’ longtime drummer, Charlie Watts has died at the age of 80. The band confirms the news via social media.
The drummer’s death comes just a few weeks after the band announced he would not participate in the upcoming No Filter tour. He died today at a London hospital.
A statement from his spokesperson, “It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts. He passed away peacefully in London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family.
“Charlie was a cherished husband, father and grandfather also as a member of The Rolling Stones one of the greatest drummers of his generation.”
Watts joined the Rolling Stones in 1963 and played on their 1964 debut. Watts’ work with the Stones stretched across decades and earned him three Grammy Awards. He and the band were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
“I bought a banjo, and I didn’t like the dots on the neck,” Watts once said. “So I took the neck off, and at the same time I heard a drummer called Chico Hamilton, who played with Gerry Mulligan, and I wanted to play like that, with brushes. I didn’t have a snare drum, so I put the banjo head on a stand.”
The Rolling Stones’ Drummer, Charlie Watts Died At 80
