Charlie Watts – Biography of Charlie Watts

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Charles Robert Watts He was born on June 2, 1941, in London, England. For more than four decades he has been a prominent figure in the world of rock ‘n’ roll, most notably as the veteran drummer for The Rolling Stones. The son of a trucker, he grew up in Wembley, near London.

Around the age of 10, Watts discovered jazz and blues; Miles Davis and John Coltrane were two of his first influences. He began playing music on his own a few years later, turning a banjo into a drum. But music was only a secondary interest to Watts at the time. He dropped out of school at 16, and later studied at the Harrow School of Art.

In 1960, Watts got a job at an advertising agency in London. He showcased his literary and artistic talents through his children’s book on jazz legend Charlie Parker, Ode to a High-Flying Bird, which was published in 1961. Watts He also played drums with a variety of groups, including Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, an important part of London’s burgeoning blues scene, and featured guest appearances by artists such as @bio: Brian Jones}, @bio: Mick Jagger} and @ bio: Eric Clapton}.

WattsHowever, he left the band when it became more popular, because he did not want to quit his day job. Guitarist Jones formed the Rollin ‘Stones (later renamed the Rolling Stones) with singer Jagger, pianist @bio: Ian Stewart} and guitarists @bio: Keith Richards} and @bio: Dick Taylor} in 1962. Afterwards having rejected the Stones, Watts finally agreed to join the group and played his first concert with the band in January 1963.

“For me it was just another job offer“, I would explain later Watts. He couldn’t have anticipated that the group would soon be rock’s next big sensation, nor could he have predicted that the Stones would continue to be one of the most revered rock ‘n’ roll bands in music history. In 1964, the Rolling Stones reached No. 3 on the UK Pop Charts with their cover of “It’s all over now“from @bio: Bobby Womack}.

While the rest of the band cultivated their bad boy rock image, Watts it was establishing itself. He married Shirley Ann Shephard in 1964, and the couple welcomed a daughter named Seraphina four years later.

The Stones scored their first No. 1 hit in the United States in 1965 with “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction“It was followed by a series of hit songs, such as”Paint It Black” Y “Ruby tuesday“The self-styled.”World’s Greatest Rock & Roll Band“He continued to enjoy enormous popularity for the next two decades with albums such as Aftermath (1966), Sticky fingers (1971), Exile on Main St. (1972) and Tattoo You (nineteen eighty one).

In the 1980s, Watts he had found time to look for other projects outside of the Stones. He returned to his first love, jazz, forming a number of different groups, including a 32-piece band called Charlie Watts Orchestra. Around the same time, he played with Stewart, a member of the Rolling Stones, in the band Rocket 88.

In the early 1990s, Watts released several albums with another group, Charlie Watts Quintet, including a tribute to Charlie Parker. Subsequently, he joined drummer Jim Keltner on the project Charlie Watts / Jim Keltner of the year 2000, which covered a wide spectrum of musical styles. In 2004, he released an album under the name of Charlie Watts and the Tentet, another jazz ensemble. Also in 2004, Watts, a veteran smoker, was diagnosed with throat cancer. After receiving treatment, the musician made a full recovery.

In more recent years, Watts has gained fame for his work with the swing band ABC & D by Boogie Woogie. The musician continues to record and perform with the Stones, and has said he plans to stay with the band until Jagger or Richards decide to retire.

Historical concert in Havana

The Rolling Stones made history on March 25, 2016, when they played a free concert for 500,000 people in Havana, Cuba, where their music, considered subversive, had previously been banned by the communist regime. The concert followed a historic visit by US President Barack Obama just days earlier, which was part of an effort to normalize US relations with Cuba.

“We have performed in many special venues during our long career, but this show in Havana will be a milestone for us, and, we hope, for all of our friends in Cuba.“the band said in a statement. The Havana show was the band’s first concert in Cuba and part of their 2016 South American tour.