Musicians around the world pay tribute to Charlie Watts
Musicians around the world have taken to social media to pay tribute to Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts. Sadly Charlie Watts died at the age of 80 last week. Watts’ band mates Keith Richards and Mick Jagger posted pictures of Charlie Watts.
Paul McCartney of the band The Beatles released a video saying “So sad to hear about Charlie Watts, the Stones drummer dying. He was a lovely guy, and I knew he was ill, but I didn’t know he was this ill. So lots of love to his family, his wife and kids, his extended family.
“And condolences to the Stones, it will be a huge blow to them because Charlie was a rock. A fantastic drummer, steady as a rock. Love you Charlie. I’ve always loved you, beautiful man. Great condolences and sympathies to his family.”
Charlie Watts – A driving force
Lars Ulrich of Metallica told Rolling Stone “Obviously, as a Stones fan, it’s sort of the end of at least an era within that band. He was the only drummer that ever recorded with them. He was such a significant part of their sound and an underrated part of their sound. In a band where the spotlight would go to especially Mick and Keith, a lot of people truly didn’t understand how valuable he was.”
Ulrich continued, “Charlie has always been that driving force. He could kick these songs and make them swing, make them swagger, still make them have that attitude, that pocket. Seeing him do that way deep into his seventies has been such a life-affirming thing. [Metallica are] a good 20, 25 years behind, but it’s given me a lot of faith in the possibilities of what it can continue to be — music, concerts, connecting to fans, connecting to each other as a band. There’s nobody above them on that pyramid, and there’s nobody above Charlie on that pyramid. Of course, there are a couple of incredible jazz drummers who played into their eighties, but there’s been nobody above Charlie in the rock ‘n’ roll pyramid in terms of being out there and doing it.”
The official Rolling Stones twitter account release a two minute tribute video to the legendary Charlie Watts, have a look at it below.
R.I.P, Charlie Watts.
