Charlie Watts: biography and personal life

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

The Rolling Stones drummer Charles Roberts Watts was born in London on June 2, 1941. Prior to joining the group, Charlie Watts was a graphic designer for a Danish advertising agency, then for a British one. These skills have come in handy for some of the Stones' tours, as well as cover designs for early releases.

Interesting facts

The colorful appearance of the tamer of percussion instruments (high growth with exceptional thinness) inspired a writer from Odessa, so Max Fry's friend Shurf Lonley-Lokli is the spitting image of Charlie Watts.

The guy's personal life is great. In 2014, they celebrated the golden wedding - exactly fifty years - Shirley Ann Shepherd and Charlie Watts. They met before any fame, when the Rolling Stones were not popular. By the way, Charlie was always faithful to his wife and missed her on tour, while his colleagues had fun as much as possible.

Drawing

Unknown why Charlie Watts sketches the roomshotels where he stays. An unusual habit, but understandable - in the light of previous information. He misses his wife, I guess. He carefully keeps these sketches.

But even such a respectable gentleman was in trouble.

The most difficult time is the crisis of middle age with panic, alcohol, drugs… The second half of the eighties. Hotels still sketched, remained faithful to his wife and himself drummer Charlie Watts. His biography did not become paler from this.

Home and family

The Watts are owners of a castle in Devonshire. There they breed English greyhounds and Arabian horses. Seeing the estate of the sixteenth century, the father of Charlie Watts - a simple hard worker, an electric locomotive driver - was amazed. Say, well done, son, that you got rich, but why was it necessary to buy such junk, if many new houses were built around?

Charlie Watts doesn't like touring because he really wants to stay at home to ride horses and play with Greyhounds. And, of course, to sleep in your bed, so as not to draw interiors at night out of boredom. "I hate leaving the house!" - Charlie Watts does not get tired of repeating. The Rolling Stones don't seem to understand him. However, Charlie is going quickly, accurately, skillfully, without the slightest forgetfulness. He does not use anything from what is offered in hotels, he carries everything with him. His things are always in perfect order.

Famous drummer, like everyone elsethe rest, lived in the sixties, but was not fascinated by them. And subsequently he did not associate himself with this time only because his youth remained there. There was a formula: the sixties are sex, drugs, rock and roll. Charlie Watts never liked all this, he and the rest of his friends from the Rolling Stones never saw part of such outrages.

In June 2004, Charlie Watts fell ill with throat cancer. When the midlife crisis ended, the musician gave up tobacco and alcohol, underwent therapy and recovered. Then he returned to live and studio work with The Rolling Stones.

Strong rocker

Excellent in rock, Charlie Watts has always had an interest in jazz, even making an illustrated tribute (a music album of cover versions) to the famous Charlie Parker.

During his life, Watts repeatedly created groups for playing boogie-woogie and jazz: Charlie Watts Quintet, Rocket 88, The Charlie Watts Tentet. But he still argued that jazz needed a better technique than the one he owns. And he added that it was almost impossible to play slowly, as Al Jackson plays.

After breaking up with Bill Wyman, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards asked Watts to choose a new member of the Rolling Stones. Charlie thought for a long time and chose Darryl Jones, who had worked with Miles Davis and Sting.

Keith Richards once said this about Charlie:

– Watts has always been unusually reserved, but one day MikuJagger still managed to piss him off. In one of the hotels, a heavily drunk Mick rang Charlie's room and asked: "Where's my drummer?"

After a while, Charlie, who quit drawing, came to Mick and gave the singer a good punch in the face, forbidding him to call Watts his drummer.

Later, Charlie said that he had been playing drums for a very long time, but they still tested him. Although it is a pleasure from time to time, especially drumsticks when used on the snare drum. And then the famous drummer said the main thing: "Rock and roll gave me, perhaps more than it took."

Big Original

Rock musicians are basically all weirdos to varying degrees, but the drummer of the Rolling Stones can be called special against this background. Here is Charlie Watts - the photo shows a modestly dressed, calm-faced man. This alone already distinguishes the drummer from the christian performance group. In addition, he is quiet. A wonderful family man, which is also very uncharacteristic for any rock company.

He answers questions without outrageousness: "I don't like rock and roll," for example. Of the Rolling Stones, he says: "That's my job."

But Watts is no accident in this rock band. He works professionally, although he does not like his solos and does not give them away. However, all the great music of the Rolling Stones rests on his drums.

Meet the Music

The first instrument Charlie learned to play wasbanjo. The boy was then fourteen years old. After playing a little, he converted the banjo into a drum. Apparently, fate prompted. And parents who love their son gave him a drum set for Christmas.

Charlie loved to listen to jazz, and now he tried to play it. After graduating from school, he studied for three years at the College of Arts - Department of Advertising. By the way, another "rolling" Keith Richards also studied advertising.

Watts then wrote/drawn a comic book about his idol Charlie Parker, which he even published later in 1964.

Working in an advertising agency did not fit well with the desire to make music. Charlie, as a sane person, had already decided to quit his drums, but then he was invited to play in the Rolling Stones.

Exceptional Exposure

As already mentioned, Charlie Watts was very different from the rest of the group: he walks in a suit, sometimes even parted his hair. His personality never ceases to amaze. Resignation easily turns into firmness. Soft yet unbending.

Once the fans made a real hell at the concert: they knocked down the soloist, took the guitars from everyone … But he continued to sit, tapping out the rhythm of a long-faded song, Charlie Watts. The Rolling Stones, whose photos we are looking at, are rushing down the stage - bright, outrageous, unpredictable. And as a "grounding", as a link to reality - a graphically clear pose of the drummer. And the same iron rhythm.

Outwork

Every year in the summer Charlie always goes to the auction in Poland, buys his horses there. By the way, in 1999 one of his filly became the champion of England at the races. Also, Watts necessarily attends the meetings of the dog breeding club in Wales, since his shepherd dogs require, if not consultations, then a conversation about the features of the content. Charlie also collects antique silver and military relics.

In terms of skill, he cannot be compared with either Phil Collins or Ringo Starr. He does not like the first plan, because he knows and respects his place. Zealously beats the rhythm, does not bother with spectacular solo parts. And most importantly, he sacredly keeps his first affection. This applies to both the wife and the rock band. Loy alty to your youth. And may it always be so!

Watts activities outside of the Rolling Stones

As a member of the band, Charlie rarely took on outside projects. In 1968 there was a recording with Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger and others. Then came the collection Blues Anytime Vol.1-2. Two years later, there was work on the People Band album - here Watts became a producer and played tabla.

Then, in 1972, Charlie took part in the work of Alexis Korner, the album was called Bootleg Him. Charlie can also be heard on two discs of blues luminary Howlin' Wolf. In 1977 and 1978, a disc featuring Watts Jamming The Boogie was released. Then the boogie-woogie anniversary was celebrated, where Charlie, Korner and Ian Stewart formed a single team.

A year later, even touring in thisthe line-up went through Germany, England and Holland, the group was called in the old way - Rocket 88. And a live disc with the same name was released. In 1980, Watts contributed to an album by fellow Blues By Six. This Brian Knight album was called A Dark Horse.

In 1983 there were ARMS charity concerts in which Charlie Watts participated in cities in the USA and in London.

In 1986, he briefly joined the Wyman team, which was called Willie & The Poorboys. A big band was created, in which twenty-nine people participated, and they named it after Charlie - Charlie Watts & His Orchestra ("Charlie Watts and the Orchestra").

At the end of the same year, a disc called Live At The Fulham Town Hall appeared, in which there was nothing but jazz.

In the 90s, Charlie was so sold that he released four solo albums, where he played with the created quintet, and Bernard Fowler was on vocals. Even the Metropolitan Orchestra is involved in the third album. The latest CD is made up of the most popular hits by Ellington, Gershwin, Armstrong and other equally eminent musicians. Even the London Times praised this disc.

In addition to the above, Charlie recorded two songs in the Charles Mingus album and made a project album with Jim Keltner for drums only.