Rolling Stones Drummer Charlie Watts Dies At 80

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Charlie Watts performs with the Rolling Stones in 2015.





Keith Srakocic/AP



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Keith Srakocic/AP



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Watts was born on June 2, 1941. Growing up, he was mostly a fan of jazz — people like Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker. It was listening to Gerry Mulligan’s «Walking Shoes as a kid that inspired him to play drums. After bouncing around various jazz clubs as the British blues scene was picking up, he met Mick Jagger and then the rest of the Stones. Watts played his first gig with them in 1963.

Watts gave off a different vibe from his bandmates in more ways than one. Aesthetically he preferred tailored suits, while the others took the stage with their more bohemian looks. He also did his best to stay out of the limelight, using some of the band’s early successes to buy a 16th century mansion in Sussex. But he was no less of a core member of the group, giving the band a steady backdrop to rock on for more than 60 years.

• The Rolling Stones


• The Rolling Stones


• Charlie Watts