Charlie Watts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charlie Watts
Watts in June 1965
Born	Charles Robert Watts (1941-06-02)2 June 1941 London, England
Died	24 August 2021(2021-08-24) (aged 80) London, England
Occupation	Musician
Years active	1958–2021
Spouse(s)	Shirley Shepherd ​ (m. 1968)​
Children	1
Musical career
Genres	Rock jazz blues
Instruments	Drums
Labels	Decca, Rolling Stones, Virgin

Charles Robert Watts (born June 2, 1941 – died August 24, 2021) was a famous English musician. He became known around the world as the drummer for the legendary band the Rolling Stones. He played with them from 1963 until he passed away in 2021.

Before becoming a rock star, Charlie Watts was trained as a graphic artist. He loved jazz music from a young age. He joined a band called Blues Incorporated. He also played drums in London's rhythm and blues clubs. There, he met the musicians who would become his bandmates: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Brian Jones.

In January 1963, Charlie joined the Rolling Stones as their drummer. He also used his art skills to design their album covers and tour stages. His first public show with the band was in February 1963. He stayed with the Rolling Stones for 58 years. He, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards were the only members who played on every one of their studio albums.

Mick Jagger gave Charlie the nickname "The Wembley Whammer." Charlie said that jazz music greatly influenced his drumming style. Besides his work with the Rolling Stones, Charlie Watts also toured with his own jazz groups. He performed at famous places like Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London.

In 1989, Charlie Watts was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was also inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame with the Rolling Stones. Many people consider him one of the greatest drummers ever.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Growing Up in London

Charles Robert Watts was born in Bloomsbury, London. His father, Charles Richard Watts, was a lorry driver. His mother, Lillian Charlotte, used to work in a factory. Charlie had a younger sister named Linda, born in 1944, and they were very close.

As a child, Charlie lived in Wembley, London. Many houses there were destroyed during World War II. Charlie and his family lived in a special temporary house called a "prefab." In 1946, Charlie met his neighbor, Dave Green. They became best friends and stayed close throughout their lives. Dave Green later became a jazz bass player.

Dave remembered that as boys, they loved listening to old records. Charlie had more records, and they would listen to jazz artists like Jelly Roll Morton and Charlie Parker. Charlie was always ahead in discovering new music. Dave and Charlie would later play together in many of Charlie's jazz bands.

Later, Charlie and his family moved to Kingsbury. He went to Tylers Croft Secondary Modern School from 1952 to 1956. At school, he showed a talent for art, music, cricket, and football.

First Drum Kit and Art School

Charlie's parents gave him his first drum kit in 1955. He practiced drumming by playing along to his jazz records. After finishing school, Charlie went to Harrow Art School. He studied there until 1960.

Career Highlights

Early Bands and Blues Incorporated

After art school, Charlie worked as a graphic designer for an advertising company. He also played drums with local bands in coffee shops and clubs. From 1958 to 1959, he and his friend Dave Green played in a jazz band called the Jo Jones All Stars.

In 1961, Charlie met Alexis Korner. Alexis asked him to join his band, Blues Incorporated. Charlie was planning to work as a graphic designer in Denmark at the time. But he accepted Alexis's offer when he returned to London in February 1962. Charlie played regularly with Blues Incorporated while still working at his advertising job.

Joining the Rolling Stones

Watts backstage during a Rolling Stones tour on May 4, 1965

In mid-1962, Charlie Watts met Brian Jones, Ian "Stu" Stewart, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards. They all spent time in the London rhythm and blues clubs. But it wasn't until January 1963 that Charlie finally agreed to join the Rolling Stones. At first, the band couldn't afford to pay Charlie much. He was earning a regular salary from his other music jobs.

His first public performance as a permanent member of the Rolling Stones was on February 2, 1963, at the Ealing Jazz Club. Mick Jagger often introduced Charlie as "The Wembley Whammer" during live concerts.

Beyond the Drums: Art and Stage Design

Besides being a musician, Charlie Watts also used his artistic talents for the Rolling Stones. He created graphic art and comic strips for early Rolling Stones records. One example is the Between the Buttons album cover.

He also helped design the band's elaborate stages for their tours. For example, he helped create the lotus-shaped stage for the Rolling Stones Tour of the Americas '75. He also worked on the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour, the Bridges to Babylon Tour, the Licks Tour, and the A Bigger Bang Tour.

Charlie's last live concert with the band was on August 30, 2019, in Miami, Florida. He never missed a single concert during his long career with the band. Along with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, he is the only member who played on every album in the Rolling Stones discography.

Other Music Projects

Charlie Watts was involved in many music projects outside of the Rolling Stones. In December 1964, he published a cartoon book as a tribute to jazz legend Charlie Parker. Even though he became famous in rock, his personal favorite music was jazz.

In the late 1970s, he joined Ian Stewart in a boogie-woogie band called Rocket 88. This band included many top jazz, rock, and R&B musicians from the UK. In the 1980s, he toured the world with his own big band called the Charlie Watts Orchestra. Famous musicians like Jack Bruce played in this band.

In 1991, he formed a jazz quintet, again as a tribute to Charlie Parker. This group released albums like Warm and Tender (1993) and Long Ago and Far Away (1996). These albums featured classic American songs. In 2000, he and drummer Jim Keltner released a techno/instrumental album called Charlie Watts/Jim Keltner Project. Charlie also recorded Watts at Scott's with his group, "the Charlie Watts Tentet," at the Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London.

In April 2009, he started performing with the ABC&D of Boogie Woogie. He quickly agreed to join when asked, but only if his old friend Dave Green played bass.

Personal Life and Image

Family Life

On October 14, 1964, Charlie Watts married Shirley Ann Shepherd. They had met before he joined the Rolling Stones in 1963. The couple had one daughter, Seraphina, born in March 1968. Seraphina later had a daughter named Charlotte, who was Charlie's only grandchild. Charlie and Shirley remained married until his death.

Charlie lived in a quiet village in west Devon, England. He owned a farm there where he raised Arabian horses. He also owned a part of the Rolling Stones' business ventures.

Interestingly, while all the other Rolling Stones members collected cars, Charlie Watts never had a driving license. He simply enjoyed looking at his cars as beautiful objects. Charlie was also a big fan of cricket and collected cricket items.

Life on Tour

Watts (center) with the Rolling Stones in Amsterdam, 1964

Charlie Watts had mixed feelings about touring. In 2003, he said he "loved playing with Keith [Richards] and the band." But he "wasn't interested in being a pop idol with girls screaming." In 1989, the Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Charlie did not attend the ceremony.

Charlie's personal life was much quieter than those of his bandmates. On stage, he seemed calm and amused, a contrast to his flashy bandmates. He once said, "I've never fit the stereotype of the rock star." He also mentioned that he sketched every bed he slept on while on tour since 1967. By 2001, he had filled 12 to 15 diaries with these sketches!

Health and Passing

Charlie Watts stopped smoking in the late 1980s. In June 2004, he was diagnosed with throat cancer. He received treatment, and the cancer went away. He later said that he seemed to get sick whenever the band stopped playing.

On August 5, 2021, it was announced that Charlie would not be able to join the Rolling Stones for their US tour. He needed heart surgery. Steve Jordan temporarily replaced him on drums.

Charlie Watts passed away at a London hospital on August 24, 2021, at the age of 80. His family was with him. His bandmates Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood, along with former bandmate Bill Wyman, shared their sadness. Many other famous musicians also paid tribute to Charlie. These included Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Elton John, and Brian May. For 10 days, the Rolling Stones' official website showed only a picture of Charlie in his memory.

Two days after his death, musicians Jason Isbell and Brittney Spencer performed a cover of "Gimme Shelter" in his honor. On August 27, the band shared a video tribute to Charlie on social media. It was a collection of pictures and videos set to the Rolling Stones' song "If You Can't Rock Me." Charlie Watts was laid to rest in Devon after a small ceremony.

Awards and Recognition

Drumming Style

Watts performing in Herisau, Switzerland, January 2010

In 1991, The Guardian newspaper described Charlie Watts as a "heroic" example of a "Rock Drummer." They said we might not see another like him. They believed he stayed successful because he never tried to be a superstar or force himself to write songs.

In July 2006, Modern Drummer magazine voted Charlie Watts into their Hall of Fame. He joined other great drummers like Ringo Starr and Buddy Rich. Music critic Robert Christgau called Watts "rock's greatest drummer." Unlike most bands where the drummer leads, Charlie Watts often followed Keith Richards. This unique style, according to critic Michiko Kakutani, made the Stones impossible to copy.

Charlie Watts is often seen as one of the greatest drummers of all time. In 2016, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him 12th on their list of the "100 Greatest Drummers of All Time." Variety magazine wrote that he was "universally recognized as one of the greatest rock drummers of all time." Music critic Rob Sheffield wrote that Watts was "rock's ultimate drum god" who made the Stones great by being true to himself.

Fashion Sense

The Daily Telegraph newspaper named Charlie Watts one of the World's Best Dressed Men. In 2006, Vanity Fair magazine added Charlie Watts to their International Best Dressed Hall of Fame List.

Discography

With the Rolling Stones

• The Rolling Stones / England's Newest Hit Makers (1964)
• 12 X 5 (1964)
• The Rolling Stones No. 2 / The Rolling Stones, Now! (1965)
• Out of Our Heads (1965)
• December's Children (And Everybody's) (1965)
• Aftermath (1966)
• Between the Buttons (1967)
• Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)
• Beggars Banquet (1968)
• Let It Bleed (1969)
• Sticky Fingers (1971)
• Exile on Main St. (1972)
• Goats Head Soup (1973)
• It's Only Rock 'n Roll (1974)
• Black and Blue (1976)
• Some Girls (1978)
• Emotional Rescue (1980)
• Tattoo You (1981)
• Undercover (1983)
• Dirty Work (1986)
• Steel Wheels (1989)
• Voodoo Lounge (1994)
• Bridges to Babylon (1997)
• A Bigger Bang (2005)
• Blue & Lonesome (2016)

Solo Albums

• The Charlie Watts Orchestra – Live at Fulham Town Hall (1986)
• The Charlie Watts Quintet – From One Charlie (1991)
• The Charlie Watts Quintet – A Tribute to Charlie Parker with Strings (1992)
• The Charlie Watts Quintet – Warm and Tender (1993)
• The Charlie Watts Quintet – Long Ago and Far Away (1996)
• The Charlie Watts-Jim Keltner Project (2000)
• The Charlie Watts Tentet – Watts at Scott's (2004)
• The ABC&D of Boogie Woogie – The Magic of Boogie Woogie (2010)
• The ABC&D of Boogie Woogie – Live in Paris (2012)
• Charlie Watts meets the Danish Radio Big Band (Live with DR Big Band at Copenhagen 2010) (2017)