Charlie Watts, the Drummer of The Rolling Stones and a Rock and Roll Legend, Has Passed Away
What's Charlie Watts's cause of death? The drummer of The Rolling Stones passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021, in a London hospital. He was 80.
Aug. 24 2021, Published 4:43 p.m. ET
The drummer of The Rolling Stones, Charlie Watts, has passed away.
Frequently hailed as one of the best rock drummers in the world, Charlie joined Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in 1963, after a string of drumming stints in esteemed bands like Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated. A keen jazz lover, Charlie was the founding member of the Charlie Watts Orchestra.
What is Charlie Watts's cause of death?
"It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts," Bernard Doherty, Charlie's publicist, told the PA Media news agency on Aug. 24, 2021, per The Guardian. "He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today [Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021] surrounded by his family. Charlie was a cherished husband, father, and grandfather and also, as a member of The Rolling Stones, one of the greatest drummers of his generation."
Bernard didn't share further details about the tragedy.
As of right now, Charlie Watts's cause of death is unknown. The devastating news comes only weeks after Charlie dropped out of the No Filter Tour to recover from an "unspecified medical procedure."
"For once my timing has been a little off," Charlie shared in a statement at the time, per Pitchfork. "I am working hard to get fully fit but I have today accepted on the advice of the experts that this will take a while."
Charlie also underwent two surgeries after being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2004. He quickly recovered.
Renowned for his exceptional drumming skills and impeccable sense of style, Charlie received numerous awards honoring his musical talents and fashion sense. His lifelong contributions to jazz earned him The Gold Award at the 2017 Jazz FM Awards.
In 2006, he was named as one of the World's Best Dressed Men by The Daily Telegraph. Charlie was included on the International Best Dressed Hall of Fame List the same year.
With The Rolling Stones, Charlie received eight Grammy Award nominations and three wins, including a Grammy Award for the Best Rock Album with "Voodoo Lounge," a Grammy Award for the Best Traditional Blues Album with "Blue & Lonesome," and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of The Rolling Stones in 1989.
Charlie met his wife, Shirley Ann Shepherd, before The Rolling Stones skyrocketed to fame.
Charlie and Shirley Ann Shepherd tied the knot in 1964. He refused to give up his day job as a graphic designer at an advertising agency, Charlie Daniels Studios, until The Rolling Stones landed a record deal with Decca Records in 1963. It's understood that Shirley Ann was studying sculpture at the Royal College of Art in London when they first met in the early 1960s.
So, did Charlie and Shirley Ann have children?
Charlie and Shirley Ann share a daughter, Seraphina. Seraphina has a 24-year-old daughter, Charlotte, with her ex-husband, a lawyer named Nick. Seraphina reportedly wedded Barry Catmur in the late 2010s.
