Charlie Watts: Last News

The world dealt with the loss of some musical powerhouses over the past year, and the 2022 Grammy Awards remembered those we’ve lost with a touching In Memoriam segment.

The world dealt with the loss of some musical powerhouses over the past year, and the 2022 GRAMMY Awards remembered those we’ve lost with a touching In Memoriam segment.

Naman Ramachandran The BBC is celebrating 60 years of The Rolling Stones with “My Life as a Rolling Stone,” a four-part series of films, each an hour long, focusing separately on Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts. The films will premiere on BBC Two and iPlayer this summer and will include unseen footage and exclusive stories from Jagger, Richards and Wood interwoven with new and archive interviews and performance. The story of Watts, who died in 2021, will be told via tributes from his fellow band members and his musical peers and admirers along with archive interviews.

CBS News.He said: "It came as a surprise to me, absolutely."I think he had been trying to keep it under the wraps for a while last year so it was quite a shock."He [had] had a round with cancer a year or two before and he beat that one."Keith continued: "He just got given a double whammy. Bless his soul." (sic)Charlie had pulled out of tour dates due to illness and was confirmed dead on August 24 by his publicist Bernard Doherty.The statement read:"It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts."He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family."We kindly request that the privacy of his family, band members and close friends is respected at this difficult time."Tributes flooded in at the time to pay their respects to the legendary drummer.Paul McCartney penned: "A rock.

Chris Willman Music WriterAlthough it appeared to the public that there might be a bit of beefing going on between the Rolling Stones and Beatles — shades of 1967 — Keith Richards says in a new interview that the matter was quickly resolved, with Paul McCartney reaching out to him to assure him no contemporary slight was intended.The continuation of their alleged friendly feud came up in a discussion the Stones’ guitarist had with writer Brian Hiatt for an episode of “Rolling Stone Music Now,” in which Richards also discussed what it was like to hit the road without their late drummer Charlie Watts, and whether they’ll be able to complete the studio album he started with them.Asked about 2021’s minor Stones/Beatles controversy, Richards said, “I got a note from Paul about that, saying ‘I was taken totally out of context,’” Richards says. The possible tiff came up with McCartney was profiled in a lengthy New Yorker piece and was quoted by the magazine’s famous editor as saying, “I’m not sure I should say it, but they’re a blues cover band, that’s sort of what the Stones are.

Keith Richards has said that Paul McCartney sent The Rolling Stones a note following the publication of an interview in The New Yorker, in which McCartney labelled them “a blues cover band”.The musician was reflecting on The Beatles’ legacy when he made the remark about the Stones. He said: “I’m not sure I should say it, but they’re a blues cover band, that’s sort of what the Stones are.

Keith Richards has confirmed that The Rolling Stones’ touring drummer Steve Jordan will be on hand to help the long-running band finish their forthcoming new album.Jordan has been filling in on drums for the Stones following the death of their longtime drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away in August last year.Speaking on the latest episode of the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, Richards clarified reports which previously claimed that Watts had finished work on the Stones’ next studio album before his death.“We do have a lot of stuff of Charlie Watts still in the can,” he said. “We were half-way through making an album when he died…”The guitarist added: “Of course, if we want to carry on recording, we’re gonna need drums, and it’s gonna be Steve Jordan.” You can listen to the full podcast with Richards below.Richards also revealed on the podcast that he was initially reluctant to tour without Watts when the late drummer fell ill last year.“I was in, ‘Oh, I cannot do this without Charlie’,” he recalled.

Keith Richards has revealed that he’s been “playing a lot of bass” on The Rolling Stones‘ upcoming new material.Speaking to the Daily Star newspaper’s ‘Wired’ column (via Music-News.com), the musician spoke about spending a week in Jamaica to work on music with Stones frontman Mick Jagger.Richards told the newspaper that him picking up the bass guitar provided “another angle” to the legendary band’s sound. “It’s quite interesting – at the same time it’s Stones man,” he said.Asked how many new tracks emerged from the sessions, the guitarist replied: “More than I can count – it was a very productive week.”Richards went on to say that he and Jagger “got a very good sound going”, adding: “Jamaica is good for sound.”Elsewhere, he told the Daily Star that the Rolling Stones are currently “gearing up” for their recently-announced UK and European 60th anniversary tour, which takes place this summer.“Once a year I like to keep my hand in – there’s nothing like playing on stage,” Richards said of his desire to head back out on the road.The forthcoming tracks will serve as the first new music from the Stones since the death of their drummer Charlie Watts last summer.

The rocker said: “It's funny, I don't think about it much anymore“Sometimes, you know, a bell rings and something inside says, 'Hey pal, enough.' “I just put the hammer on it," he said. "Luckily, I don't miss it, and that makes me feel good. Until I started rehearsing for the tour last August. “Then I realised that I had 10 times more wind.”On the WTF podcast with Marc Maron, he said he had “a lot more air in the lungs and in the voice, more stamina". The rockstar added that quitting is better than “the alternative". The British star has long been known for his extreme rock’n’roll lifestyle. He openly kicked his heroin habit in 1978 and stopped doing cocaine in 2006. In 2018, he spoke to Rolling Stone about how he had stopped drinking and would only occasionally drink beer or wine. In August last year, former bandmate Charlie Watts died at age 80 from an undisclosed illness. Keith also spoke about Charlie, explaining that the late drummer had been “trying to keep the illness under wraps for a while”. He added that it “came as a shock". “He just got hit with a double whammy.

Keith Richards is in “peak performance” mode after putting down the cigarettes.

Keith Richards has said that The Rolling Stones have no plans to sell their publishing.His comments come as other veteran acts including Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks and Bruce Springsteen parted with their publishing catalogues recently for large payouts.Talking to CBS This Morning, Richards said: “Mick and I have not spoken about it on a serious level. I don’t know if we’re ready to sell our catalogue.“We might drag it out a bit, put some more stuff in it. The only thing about selling your catalogue…it’s a sign of getting old.”Elsewhere in the interview Richards reflected on the “shock” of losing drummer Charlie Watts last year.“I think he tried to keep [his health] under the wraps last year,” the guitarist said.

Keith Richards reunited with his old band the X-Pensive Winos at a show in New York last week – check out the footage below.The Rolling Stones guitarist assembled the group back in 1986 for his performance in the Chuck Berry concert film Hail! Hail! Rock ‘N’ Roll, which came out the following year.They contributed to Richards’ debut solo album ‘Talk Is Cheap’ (1988) and its follow-up ‘Main Offender’ (1992), as well as touring with the musician. The X-Pensive Winos also appear on his 2015 third LP, ‘Crosseyed Heart’, and played one live show that year.The original X-Pensive Winos line-up consisted of guitarist Waddy Wachtel, keyboardist Ivan Neville, bassist Charlie Drayton, saxophonist Bobby Keys and drummer Steve Jordan – the latter of whom is now a permanent touring member of The Rolling Stones’ following the death of Charlie Watts last summer.As Stereogum reports, Richards and the X-Pensive Winos played a three-track set together at the Love Rocks benefit show at NYC’s Beacon Theatre last Thursday (March 10).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Rolling Stones have announced dates for their 60th anniversary tour, their second jaunt since the death of founding drummer Charlie Watts last August. The European summer tour will take in fourteen shows in ten countries across the contintent and will present the premiere of “a brand new ‘Sixty’ production,” starting in Madrid on June 1.The announcement notes that the group will be playing its first concert in Liverpool in more than 50 years, followed by two shows in London’s Hyde Park.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAfter two years of pandemic-induced shutdown and Omicron-postponed reopenings in December and January, Iridium, the downstairs music club in New York’s Times Square known as the “home of Les Paul,” is finishing the second week of its grand reopening, which launched on March 1 with a performance by the Harlem Blues Project, followed by four shows with a fiery jazz-rock band led by guitarist Mike Stern (featuring the great Randy Brecker on cornet), blues guitarist King Solomon Hicks, veteran folksinger Tom Rush and tonight and Saturday, guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, and jazz guitarist Larry Carlton, including sets focused on his extensively 1970s work with Steely Dan.The unusually intimate (for New York, anyway) 170-capacity downstairs club, which has updated its cleaning procedures and air-filtration system, returned with a full menu (including entrees like “The Les Paul” burger and the plant-based “Jerry Garcia”) a robust wine list and many (potent) specialty cocktails. The club is also launching Iridium Underground, a new series focused on emerging artists, next week with Brooklyn-based guitarist-producer Mario and the Mood.

The Rolling Stones have teased a new tour in the UK and Europe.In a new video posted to Instagram this morning (March 11), a map of the UK and Europe was dotted with the Stones’ iconic logo, which lit up over several locations – including London.They captioned the post: “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” – see it below.A post shared by The Rolling Stones (@therollingstones)Back in December, The Rolling Stones played an intimate London show in celebration of their late bandmate Charlie Watts. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, as well as former bassist Bill Wyman, were all in attendance at Ronnie Scott’s in Soho, along with a number of Watts’ family and friends.Longtime Stones drummer Watts died at the age of 80 last August, prompting a huge outpouring of tributes from the music world and beyond.

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood would mark their impressive milestone. The band finished up a highly successful North American tour in November after being knocked back by Covid and then the sad death of long-serving drummer Charlie Watts. But now the rock 'n' roll legends are expected to announce they are heading back to Europe, and could headline Hyde Park festival in June as well as a number of other UK dates.

Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ Chad Smith has opened up about his “unbelievable” experience meeting legendary late Rolling Stones drummer, Charlie Watts.Speaking to NME for the latest Big Read, the Chili’s drummer also discussed his respect for the Stones’ staying power.“They’re still going man, still wheeling around,” said Smith. “I think because they were there in the very beginning of rock and roll or modern rock and roll anyway.

Keith Richards has announced a 30th anniversary reissue of his second solo album ‘Main Offender’ – see all the details below.Released back in October 1992, the record followed on from the Rolling Stones guitarist’s debut solo full-length, 1988’s ‘Talk Is Cheap’.It was produced by Richards, Waddy Wachtel and Steve Jordan, the latter of whom drummed for the Stones on their recent US tour; the stint marked the legendary band’s first shows since the death of Charlie Watts.Today (January 25) it’s been confirmed that ‘Main Offender’ will arrive as an expanded, special deluxe box set on March 18 via BMG. You can pre-order the collection here in various formats.The upcoming new version of the LP boasts previously unreleased recordings from Richards’ ‘Winos Live In London ‘92’ show, which took place at the Town & Country Club in Kentish Town, London.To preview the celebratory reissue, Richards has shared a live version of ‘How I Wish’ alongside an official accompanying lyric video.

EXCLUSIVE: Bill Maher is back and ready to rumble.

Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger, 78, moaned about the various female fans from the UK, some of whom apparently wanted to sleep with members of the band when they shot to fame in 1963.The Sympathy For The Devil singer added that he had a preference for American groupies because they were “much younger” and “very clean”. Mick’s unsavoury comments were made back in 1974 but were then republished by rock magazine Uncut in a special on drummer Charlie Watts, who died aged 80 last August.The rocker, who is said to have slept with approximately 4,000 women, didn’t hold back as he went on a shocking tirade against his fans from the north, who were deemed to be “dreadful”. When asked about his early groupies, he said: “Great ugly ones – dreadful Northern ones with long black hair, plastic boots and macs. Ugh.“Thankfully, the girls are much ­prettier now than they were then.

2021, eh? Well in some cases, the best thing we can say about it is that at least it wasn't 2020. In fact, while the live music industry was still trying to get back on its feet and tours were getting postponed even further, there were plenty of music things going – some major comebacks, a handful of HUGE albums and an appetite, as ever, for new pop stars. So, join us at the dock of 2021 as we board the ship of pop and set sail towards 2022.