15 of the most moving tributes to Charlie Watts following Rolling Stones drummer’s death aged 80

Charlie Watts – the iconic The Rolling Stones drummer who helped spearhead one of rock’s greatest sounds and joked that he used his “day job” to support his affinity for jazz – has died aged 80.

Bernard Doherty, Watts’ publicist, said that he “passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today (Tuesday) surrounded by his family”. Watts had previously mentioned that he wouldn’t go on tour with the band in 2021 because of an undisclosed health issue.

Naturally, when people found out, they took to social media and shared posts remembering Watts’ legacy.

Fellow bandmates Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood were among those who publicly paid tribute to Watts.

Sir Mick shared a picture of Watts smiling while seated behind a drumkit. The Rolling Stones frontman, 78, did not add a caption. In his tribute, Richards, 77, posted a picture of Watts’s drumkit with a “closed” sign hung on it. He too did not include a caption.

Wood shared a picture of himself and Watts on Twitter, writing alongside it: “I love you my fellow Gemini – I will dearly miss you – you are the best.”

Here are 15 of the other most moving tributes.

1. The ‘ultimate’ drummer

2. No matter what Watts’ age is, his death still feels “unexpected”

3. Watts created the “beat” to the soundtrack of many people’s lives

4. Watts wouldn't let the lack of a drum kit get in the way of his abilities

5. Watts was assertive with himself and others

6. Undeniable musical ability

7. The ‘beating heart’ of the Stones

8. Watts was soft-spoken with “ a wicked sense of humour”

9. He did justice to every song he played

10. Watts mastered simplicity and intrigue with his work

11. The music industry will forever be influenced by his contributions

12. He was ‘completely classy’

13. He was stylish

The Who frontman Roger Daltrey also praised Watts’ style, describing him as “the perfect gentleman, as sharp in his manner of dress as he was on the drums”.

In a statement, he added: “Charlie was a truly great drummer, whose musical knowledge of drumming technique, from jazz to the blues, was, I’m sure, the heartbeat that made The Rolling Stones the best rock and roll band in the world.”

14.Watts seemed to make the most out of everything

15.Forever a musical legend

When Watts announced that he was to miss the band’s forthcoming US tour, a spokesman said he was “unlikely to be available for the resumption of the Rolling Stones USA No Filter Tour this fall” as he recovered from an unspecified medical procedure.

The band are due to resume the tour Stateside in September, following its postponement last year amid the coronavirus pandemic. Session and touring musician Steve Jordan was previously announced as Watts’s temporary replacement on drums.

Watts said at the time that “For once my timing has been a little off. I am working hard to get fully fit but I have today accepted on the advice of the experts that this will take a while”.

A spokesperson said then that Watts’s procedure had been “completely successful”, but that he needed time to recuperate.

Watts, who was typically elegantly dressed in suit and tie, was frequently compared to Keith Moon, Ginger Baker, and a few others as a top rock drummer, and was revered across the world for his strong, swinging technique as the band went from ragtag origins to international superstardom.

He became a member of the Stones in early 1963 and remained for the following 60 years, ranking third behind Jagger and Richards as the group’s longest-serving member.

The Stones began as “white blokes from England playing Black American music,” according to Watts, but quickly developed their own style. Watts began his career as a jazz drummer and never lost his enthusiasm for the genre, leading his own jazz band and working on a variety of side projects.

Watts, a lover of cricket, married his girlfriend Shirley – who was a sculpture student at the Royal College of Art – in 1964 and the pair had one daughter, Seraphina.