He still managed to play convincingly on record - the disco-inspired beats of 1978's "Miss You" and 1980's " Emotional Rescue" showed that he could adapt to the times - but his drug use became severe enough that Richards, a notorious abuser of heroin, convinced him to give it up. Watts did have a period of substance abuse, one that began in the late '70s as he started to use heroin. Starting with the band's 1975 tour, Watts collaborated with Jagger on the stage design for the group's concerts, a role he continued to play throughout his life. He didn't let ego get in his way: When he heard the backing track for the group's 1974 record " It's Only Rock ’n' Roll (But I Like It)," he thought the rhythm Kenney Jones laid down on the demo was good enough for the finished album. Watts was showcased on the cover of the band's 1970 live album, " Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!" - he's the only Stone on the cover, brandishing two guitars and a top hat - and Jagger gave him a shoutout on the record itself, telling the crowd, "Charlie's good tonight, isn't he?" Yet he seemed happiest providing the band a steady anchor. 1 with a version of Bobby & Shirley Womack's " It's All Over Now." A year later, they hit the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic with "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." Richards' fuzz-toned riff helped turn "Satisfaction" into the group's signature song but Watts' steady roll propelled the single, giving it an indelible swing.Ĭharlie Watts circa 1965. Top 40 in February 1964 with a cover of Buddy Holly's " Not Fade Away" and in June 1964 had their first British No. The Beatles gave them " I Wanna Be Your Man" for their second single, they cracked the U.K. Oldham convinced the Stones to push Stewart out of the lineup - the burly pianist didn't fit their lean image, though he remained in the band's orbit as a road manager and studio pianist - just before the release of their first single, a cover of Chuck Berry's "Come On," which arrived in June, just six months after Watts became a Stone. By that summer, the band hired as their manager Andrew Loog Oldham, who decided to position the Rolling Stones as the "anti-Beatles" - London bad boys to the Liverpudlian mop-tops. Watts accepted the invitation in January 1963, making his debut on the 12th of that month at the Ealing Blues Club. After a brief spell working as a designer in Copenhagen, he settled in Blues Incorporated through 1962 as he was being pursued by Richards and guitarist Brian Jones to join the blues band they were forming with Mick Jagger, bassist Bill Wyman and pianist Ian Stewart. Watts continued on this split course - design during the day, jazz at night - through his time playing in Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated. It actually meant a lot of bloody playing, a lot of work."Īs Watts racked up the hours playing drums for the Jo Jones All Stars, he also attended Harrow Art School, before leaving for a position as a graphic designer at an advertising firm. He'd later recall, "I wanted to be Max Roach or Kenny Clarke playing in New York with Charlie Parker in the front line. He attempted to play along to his records, a task he hated doing, but it helped build his chops. Soon, he upgraded to a full drum kit his father purchased from a friend. He bought a banjo, took off its neck and used the banjo head as a snare drum, teaching himself with a pair of wire brushes. While attending Kingsbury's Tylers Croft Secondary Modern School as a teenager, Watts decided to learn to play drums. As a child in Wembley, Watts became an enthusiastic fan of jazz, collecting 78 rpm records by the likes of Charlie Parker. The son of a London truck driver, Watts was born in the Bloomsbury neighborhood of London on June 2, 1941. Watts came to that swing naturally, falling in love with jazz long before he learned about the blues, and often returning to it whenever he stepped outside of the Rolling Stones. Watts gave the Stones a sense of swing, emphasizing the roll in rock ’n’ roll, an element missing in many of their imitators. He was the quiet, dapper center of gravity around which the bad boys orbited. Watts always seemed to stand slightly apart from the rest of the Rolling Stones. The most stylish of men, and such brilliant company." Questlove, the drummer for the Roots, posted on Instagram that Watts was "the heartbeat of Rock & Roll" In his 2010 memoir "Life," Stones guitarist Keith Richards wrote, "To me, Charlie Watts was the secret essence of the whole thing." Paul McCartney posted a brief tribute video on Twitter, calling Watts "a lovely guy" and “a fantastic drummer." Elton John said on Twitter that Watts was "the ultimate drummer. Charlie Watts, left, Ron Wood, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger in New York in January 1983.
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