5 Years Ago Today, the World Lost the Jazz-Loving Graphic Designer Who Became the Drummer for the Biggest Rock Band on Earth

On this day (August 24) in 2021, Charlie Watts died from squamous-cell carcinoma at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London at the age of 80. He was the drummer for the Rolling Stones for 58 years. While his playing melded perfectly with the rest of the band, he didn’t live the same rock star lifestyle. Moreover, he was a lifelong fan of jazz, which came out in his unique style.

While Watts loved music and started learning to play drums as a teenager, he didn’t initially pursue a music career. Instead, he attended the Harrow School of Art and began working as a graphic designer. He played drums for various jazz bands in London at night. In the early 1960s, he joined Blues Incorporated while he continued to work at an advertising firm.

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According to the Percussive Arts Society, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Brian Jones were fans of Blues Incorporated. When they formed the Rolling Stones, they asked Watts to be their drummer. He didn’t join immediately, though. Instead, he waited until they were playing often enough to guarantee steady pay.

Watts made his first public appearance with the band in February 1963 and remained with them until he died 58 years later. He was more than the Rolling Stones’ drummer. He also helped design their album covers, merchandise, and stage sets.

Charlie Watts Worked Outside of the Rolling Stones

Charlie Watts may have kept the beat for one of the biggest rock bands in history, but he wasn’t a huge fan of rock and roll. Instead, he loved jazz. So, when the Rolling Stones weren’t in the studio or on the road, Watts formed and led various jazz bands. He had the Charlie Watts Orchestra, a 33-piece band, a quintet, and a tentet.

Watts also recorded several albums outside the Stones. From One Charlie, recorded with his quintet, was a tribute to Charlie Parker. They also released Warm and Tender and Long Ago and Far Away. In 2000, he partnered with Jim Keltner for Charlie Watts-Jim Keltner Project. Then, in 2010, he recorded The Magic of Boogie Woogie with a group called The ABC&D of Boogie Woogie.

“A lot of cats have good hands, and they might be making all the right moves and playing incredible paradiddles and sh*t, but it’s like the playing keeps going down the runaway and never, ever takes off,” Keith Richards said. “Whereas with Charlie, you suddenly realize that you’re floating a few inches off the ground. Yeah, Charlie. I just look at him, and I relax.”

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