Rolling Stones’ Charlie Watts died in August 2021 at the age of 80, and three years later, his bandmate Ronnie Woods is remembering him with a short heartfelt note. Ronnie Wood took to Instagram to mark Watts’ death anniversary with a black and white photo of them both, and a painting of Watts doing his thing on the drums.
Ronnie simply captioned the post, “Miss you, Charlie,” with a white heart emoji. Although brief, the message carries a lot of weight as both men were good friends beyond business. The Rolling Stones official page also posted a tribute to Watts, noting that he was “a light so bright for all of us.”
Fans react to Ronnie Wood’s tribute to Charlie Watts
Fans responded to Ronnie’s post, complimenting their photo and gushing about Watts’ prowess behind the drums. “Miss his drum sound and his gentle smile behind the drums. Seems like a very nice humble guy,” a lady wrote. “Beautiful Charlie, gorgeous pic,” someone else quipped.
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A third user commented on a quote famously attributed to Watts from a conversation with Mick Jagger—- “I’m not your drummer, you’re my singer.” The much-disputed statement was reportedly made during a fight between them, however, some sources claim Watts said “Never call me your drummer again.”
Ronnie’s final conversation with Watts
Ronnie was the last of the band members to see Watts before he died of cancer in London. He recalled making a promise to the late musician that drummer Steve Jordan would continue his legacy, after which Watts asked him to get out so he could watch Frankie Dettori on TV.
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Meanwhile, the Rolling Stones will be releasing their next album Hackney Diamonds in October, and it will feature Watts on two tracks, while Steve does the drumming on most songs in his absence. Watts remains in his bandmates’ hearts as Keith Richards previously admitted to paying tribute daily as he passes by a portrait of him every morning at home.