Rolling Stones' drummer Charlie Watts has died
London, UK - The long-serving drummer of the Rolling Stones, Charlie Watts, has died at age 80, the band confirmed on its Facebook page on Tuesday.
Watts joined the band shortly after it was formed in 1962.
Though he avoided the limelight compared to singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, Watts was a steady presence throughout the band's decades of music production.
The drummer had announced earlier this month that he would not participate in the band's upcoming No Filter tour of the US this year, citing recovery from an unspecified medical procedure.
Watts had already been treated for throat cancer in 2004, according to the BBC.
He died peacefully at home.
"Charlie was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also, as a member of the Rolling Stones, one of the greatest drummers of his generation," read the statement.
Within an hour of his death, the Rolling Stones website, which had previously been promoting a re-release of its Tattoo You album, had changed to a simple photograph of Watts, with no links available.
Tributes flowed in from throughout the music world, from Elton John to Ringo Starr.
Condolences poured in from music royalty
Watts was also a jazz musician, an artist, a cricket player, and a horse breeder
Born on June 2, 1941 in North London, Watts discovered his love of jazz and blues at an early age.
He made his first drum kit out of an old banjo, launching a long and varied career.
Watts joined the Rolling Stones six months after their first gig at London's legendary Marquee Club on July 12, 1962, a decision that proved fruitful, in both musical and financial terms.
However, before he became famous with the Rolling Stones, Watts played in London clubs and performed with several jazz bands, where he met Jagger and Richards.
Known for a keen sense of fashion and for exercising a calming influence on the clashing personalities of Jagger and Richards, Watts could appear unflappable compared to the antics of his colleagues.
According to one widely reported story, Watts was woken up in the middle of the night in 1984 while the band was in an Amsterdam hotel. Jagger had a party in his room and was demanding to know, "Where's my drummer?"
According to the story, Watts got up, showered, shaved and put on a suit before heading to Jagger's room, where he then punched Jagger in the face, saying, "Don't ever call me 'your drummer' again, you're my fucking singer."
Even after joining the Stones, he maintained his own side projects separately, too.
Watts was also an artist as well as a musician and published Ode To A High Flying Bird in 1964, a comic book tribute to jazz musician Charlie Parker.
Beyond rock and roll, Watts remained interested in other genres. He formed Rocket 88 alongside Ian Stewart, Alexis Korner, and Dick Morrissey during the 1970s.
During the 1980s, Watts also performed jazz with the Charlie Watts Orchestra, and a decade later, he began to perform with the Charlie Watts Quintet. The group went on to record albums From One Charlie and Warm & Tender.
Married to artist Shirley Watts, the two lived on a farm in Devon where they bred Arabian horses professionally.
He had many interests, including a passion for cricket, but he remained a rocker through and through, telling The Times newspaper he didn't know what he would do otherwise.
"What am I gonna do? Mow the lawn?" he said, explaining why he had no plans to retire.
Cover photo: IMAGO / MediaPunch