Charles Robert Watts was an English drummer. He lived from 2 June 1941 to 24 August 2021. He is best known for his time as a member the Rolling Stones, 1963-1965. He was originally a graphic artist and began playing drums in London’s blues and rhythm clubs. There he met Brian Jones and Mick Jagger. He joined the Rolling Stones’ fledgling band in January 1963 as a drummer and also designed their record sleeves. Watts was the only member of the band to be featured on all their studio albums, along with Jagger, Richards and others. His drumming style was influenced by jazz, he said. He toured with his own band, the Charlie Watts Quintet. He also appeared at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London with the Charlie Watts Tentet. Watts was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2006. Vanity Fair also elected him into the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 2006. Robert Christgau, a noted music critic, said that Watts was “rock’s greatest drummer.” He was 12th on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest drummers of all time” list in 2016. Charles Robert Watts was born in London’s University College Hospital to Charles Richard Watts, who was a lorry driver on the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and Lillian Charlotte (nee Eaves). Linda was his sister. Watts lived as a child in Wembley at 23 Pilgrims Lane. Many houses in Wembley had been destroyed by German bombs in World War II. Watts, his family and others lived in a prefab. Watts lived next door at 22 Pilgrims Road. He was his childhood friend and he remained close to Watts. Green went on to become a jazz bassist. Green recalls how as boys “we discovered 78rpm records.” Charlie had more records than me… We used go to Charlie’s bedroom to get these records. Watts was a jazz fan from the beginning. He remembers having 78 RPM records by Jelly Roll Morton and Charlie Parker. Green recalls Watts having a record with Monk and The Johnny Dodge Trio. Charlie was better than me at listening and acquisitions. Watts moved with his family to Kingsbury in 1952. He attended Tylers Croft Secondary Modern school from 1952 to 1956. As a schoolboy, Watts was a gifted artist, musician, and football player. Watts began to be interested in drumming when he was thirteen years old. I removed the neck and heard Chico Hamilton play with Gerry Mulligan. I was inspired to try playing with brushes like him. I didn’t own a snare drum so I placed the banjo head on a standing. Watts received his first drum set from his parents in 1955. He would practice with the jazz records that he had collected and drum along to them. Watts attended secondary school and then enrolled at Harrow Art School, now the University of Westminster’s Harrow campus. He attended the Harrow campus until 1960. He worked as a graphic artist for Charlie Daniels Studios and occasionally played the drums in local bands at coffee shops and clubs after he graduated from art school. He and Green started their musical careers together in 1958-1959, when they played in a Middlesex jazz band called the Jo Jones All Stars Watts. He initially found his transition from rhythm and blues confusing and commented, “I went to rhythm and blues. I didn’t know what it meant when they asked me to perform. It was Charlie Parker. I played slowly. Watts met Alexis Korner in 1961 and was invited to Blues Incorporated. Watts was on his way in 1961 to Denmark as a graphic designer. But he accepted Korner’s invitation when he returned home to London in February 1962. Watts was a regular player with Blues Incorporated and also worked for Charles, Hobson, and Grey. Watts met Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in 1962. However, Watts was only able to accept a membership to the Rolling Stones in January 1963. From Wikipedia
