Drummers aren’t always given the spotlight in a band. However, every so often, there will be such a singular percussive force that they become just as iconic as the band’s frontman. Charlie Watts was one such drummer. Though his temperament was far subtler than that of Mick Jagger, rock fans all knew and loved Watts for his unique playing and persona. To revisit the iconic drummer’s inspirations, check out three of his favorite fellow drummers below.
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Buddy Rich
Jazz drumming is a whole other beast from rock drumming. Both are difficult in their own way, but a great jazz drummer is held in high esteem regardless of what genre you’re partial to. Watts once gave props to a jazz great: Buddy Rich.
“He’s an incredible man, isn’t he? The history of that guy is amazing,” Watts once said. “Some of the records he played on are just remarkable; some of the Verve records with Charlie Parker. I mean, some of the introductions he plays are sort of ridiculous, really, and he’s only using two drums! That’s not all he’s got, but he just uses two.”
“The placement of his notes! The timing of it then and there was just staggering,” he continued. “I just listen to Buddy’s music, I can’t copy that. I think you get to a point where you watch something just to enjoy it. I don’t think it’s really done so that you’re supposed to feel, ‘Oh, he’s the most wonderful drummer.’ I think the whole lot is what’s more enjoyable.”
Joe Morello
Speaking of impressive jazz drummers, Watts also once heralded the talents of Joe Morello. Among many accolades, Morello acted as the rhythm section for the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Watts was awed by Morello’s style, which he described as the “prettiest” he’d ever witnessed.
“Joe Morello is the first guy I saw that was the prettiest player I’d ever seen in my life,” Watts once said. “Joe Morello as a drummer—apart from being quite brilliant—his style was something else to look at. I used to sit and watch him just to see his hands.”
Jerry Allison
Watts made a habit of listening to his predecessors in the genre. The last drummer he counted as a favorite was Jerry Allison of the Crickets. The ’50s American rocker informed the playing Watts did with the Rolling Stones a decade later.
“Another drummer who’s quite brilliant is Jerry Allison,” Watts once said. “He used to play with Buddy Holly and The Crickets. He’s probably the best ‘song’ player that I know. He doesn’t really play the drums—he plays the songs, and that is really more important within the context of that music.”
“If you’re playing to a songwriter, that’s much more important than having all the technique in the world,” he added. “But Jerry’s got an awful lot of technique.”
(Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
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