On the one-year anniversary of Charlie Watts’ passing, Mick Jagger is paying tribute to him.
In a video shared on social media on Wednesday, Jagger paid tribute to the late Rolling Stones drummer with a slideshow of Watts images, “Until the Next Goodbye” by the venerable rock group from 1974, and a voiceover from the singer.
Jagger, 79, remembered Watts as having a fantastic sense of humor. Watts passed away at the age of 80 on August 24, 2021, from an unidentified illness. “We used to spend a lot of time hanging around and having interesting times outside of the band, you know. We adored sports. We had hobbies other than only music; we would attend cricket and sports games.”
Charlie today, I’m thinking of you,” Jagger said in the caption.
The Rolling Stones completed their 60th-anniversary tour earlier this summer. The stretch of European gigs was the second set of events to continue on without Watts on the drums following the No Filter Tour, which ended last year.
Steve Jordan filled in as the drummer on both tours. Don McAulay, Watts’ veteran drum technician, made it a point to position his drum key where Watts’ used to.
“Don McAulay, who worked with Charlie Watt for 10 years as his drum technician, pays tribute to Charlie on his birthday by setting his drum key where Charlie always did before each performance. Charlie, happy birthday! We miss you “The band posted a message on Twitter along with a McAulay video.
Thinking of Charlie today 💙 pic.twitter.com/zkP5CwZthe
— Mick Jagger (@MickJagger) August 24, 2022
The remaining Stones have been vocal about how painful losing Watts was, and during their first performance without him in September 2021, Jagger even raised a glass to the drummer on stage.
The vocalist told Rolling Stone at the time, “The thing he brought was this great sense of swing and swerve that most bands dream they could have. “In the past few years, we have had some really good chats about how everything with the band came about. It’s a great loss for all of us. It’s extremely difficult.”
Nevertheless, Richards stated on CBS Sunday Morning in March 2021 that the rockers had been “very shocked” by Watts’ passing.
“A year or two prior, he had battled cancer once before, and he had prevailed. He was merely struck twice in quick succession “explained Richards. “Bless his soul.”
The Stones revealed to the Los Angeles Times in October 2021 that they had recorded new music with Watts on drums before his passing, so fortunately for fans, Watts’ music endures.
You haven’t heard the last of Charlie Watts, to put it simply, said Richards.