Charlie Watts

Background

Charles Robert Watts, A.K.A. Charlie Watts, is a name that holds reverence in the music industry. Watts’ talent, techniques, and performances earned him swarms of supportive fans worldwide. He was born on June 2, 1941, in Bloomsbury, London. His father was a lorry driver while his mother was a factory worker. He was of English and Scottish descent and a Gemini. Growing up, Watts was influenced by jazz music and he owned many records. His family moved to Kingsbury and from 1952 to 1956, he attended the Tyler Croft Secondary Modern School. When Watts declared his interest in drumming in 1955, his parents bought him a drum kit. He later attended Harrow Art School until 1960.

Watts worked as a graphic designer after leaving art school. He got employed by an advertising company, however, he still played drums on the side. He joined a band with his childhood friend, Dave Green. Watts joined Blues Incorporated in 1962 while maintaining his graphic design job at Charles, Hobson, and Gray. He met Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ian Stewart by mid-1962 and officially joined the Rolling Stones in January 1963. With his background in graphic design, Watts contributed to the comic strips of the band. He created record sleeves and designed their tour stages. Watts performed with the Rolling Stones for 58 years, he toured countries and went the whole nine yards. Jagger nicknamed him ‘The Wembley Whammer.’

Watts was an entertainer who gave his heart and soul to every performance, song, and album. He was a phenomenal drummer who breathed his last on August 24, 2021. Watts was survived by his wife, Shirly Ann Shepherd, whom he married in 1964, their daughter, Seraphina, and granddaughter, Charlotte. He lived a full life and he is missed every day.