(CNN)Charlie Watts, the unassuming lad of a motortruck operator who gained planetary fame arsenic the drummer for the Rolling Stones, has died. He was 80.
''It is with immense sadness that we denote the decease of our beloved Charlie Watts. He passed distant peacefully successful a London infirmary earlier contiguous surrounded by his family," his spokesperson said Tuesday successful an emailed connection to CNN.
"Charlie was a cherished husband, begetter and gramps and besides arsenic a subordinate of The Rolling Stones 1 of the top drummers of his generation. We kindly petition that the privateness of his family, set members and adjacent friends is respected astatine this hard time.''
The set had announced earlier this period that Watts would miss the band's upcoming North American limb of its "No Filter" circuit aft undergoing a aesculapian process for an chartless condition.
Watts became portion of the Stones' longtime foursome alongside Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, anchoring the band's blues-rock dependable from his drum kit for much than 50 years.
His archetypal emotion was jazz
Always a reluctant stone and rotation prima -- his existent emotion was jazz -- Watts was calved successful 1941, erstwhile Hitler's bombs were inactive falling implicit London. He grew up successful the westbound London suburb of Wembley.
From a young age, Watts was passionate astir drumming. He would "rap retired tunes connected the array with pieces of wood oregon a weapon and fork" earlier his parents bought him a drum kit erstwhile helium was 14, his parent said. He went connected to survey graphic plan astatine the Harrow School of Art.
His archetypal occupation was successful advertizing and, successful his spare time, Watts wrote and published a children's publication astir jazz fable Charlie Parker called "Ode to a High Flying Bird." The preface read: "This communicative was compiled by 1 Charlie to a precocious and large Charlie."
At the aforesaid time, Watts played successful a set with Alexis Korner, the founding begetter of the British blues scene, successful Ealing, westbound London, wherever the precocious Stones subordinate Brian Jones, Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton were besides impermanent musicians.
In 1962, Jones formed the Rolling Stones with vocalist Jagger, pianist Ian Stewart and guitarists Keith Richards and Dick Taylor. Watts turned down the group's archetypal connection for him to join, yet conceding and playing his archetypal gig with them successful January 1963. (Bill Wyman was a bassist with the radical betwixt 1962 and 1993.)
In 1964, the Stones reached No. 1 connected the British popular charts with their screen of Bobby Womack's "It's All Over Now."
The Jagger-Richards songwriting squad created its archetypal bona fide classic, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," successful 1965. The set enjoyed a drawstring of deed singles good into 1966, including "Paint It Black," "19th Nervous Breakdown," "Get disconnected My Cloud," "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby," and "Lady Jane."
The radical maintained tremendous popularity for decades with classical albums similar "Aftermath" (1966), "Sticky Fingers" (1971), "Some Girls" (1978) and "Tattoo You" (1981), and with monolithic stadium tours that took them each implicit the world.
He and his woman lived successful agrarian southwest England
In the 1980s Watts yet recovered clip to prosecute his passionateness for jazz and formed a 32-piece set called the Charlie Watts Orchestra. Their archetypal gig was successful the legendary London jazz nine Ronnie Scott's, wherever Watts was a frequent, if undercover, visitor.
In the aboriginal 1990s, Watts released respective albums with different group, the Charlie Watts Quintet, including a tribute to Charlie Parker.
He joined Shirley Ann Shepherd successful 1964, and the mates had 1 daughter, Seraphina. They remained joined until Watts' death.
Watts, a dense smoker, was diagnosed with pharynx crab successful 2004 but afloat recovered.
He spent astir of his clip connected his property successful Devon successful southwest England. His woman bred horses and owned a well-known stud farm.
In much caller years, Watts formed an aged schoolhouse blues set called the ABC&D of Boogie Woogie, preferring to play successful intimate clubs. He nevertheless continued to play with the Stones, astir precocious connected the European limb of the band's "No Filter" circuit successful 2018.
Watts is survived by 3 of his longtime Stones bandmates: Jagger, Richards and Wood.
Musicians Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Elton John and much shared their memories of Watts connected societal media and expressed condolences to his household and bandmates.
"Charlie was a stone and a fantastic drummer. Steady arsenic a rock." McCartney said successful a video.
"A precise bittersweet day. Charlie Watts was the eventual drummer," John wrote successful a tweet. "The astir stylish of men, and specified superb company. My deepest condolences to Shirley, Seraphina and Charlotte. And of course, The Rolling Stones."
Drummer Steve Jordan, a erstwhile subordinate of the location bands for "Saturday Night Live" and "Late Night with David Letterman," is scheduled to instrumentality Watts' spot for the Stones' upcoming tour, which is scheduled to commencement connected September 26 successful St. Louis.
CNN's Chloe Melas contributed to this report,
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