Charlie Watts
Rolling Stones [...]
Profile
Charles Robert Watts, Drums. Born 2nd June, 1941. Father was a lorry driver for British Rail. Attended Tylers Croft Secondary Modern School, and Harrow Art School. Worked for Charles Hobson and Gray, Advertising Agents. He was working in a club called the Troubadour with a group called Blues By Five when he met Alexis Korner. He played with him before joining the Stones. Part of the dependable rhythm section, Charlie's first love, apart from suits, was jazz. He came into the band from Alexis Korner & Blues Incorporated. Charlie soon fitted in and his contribution has been invaluable since. He shares a fondness of cricket with Mick and the two always plan the staging and design of tours together with a professional team. Charlie has a very good eye, and trained as a graphic artist before turning to music. In 1964 with the Stones in full swing, he published 'Ode To A High Flying Bird' an amusing booklet of his cartoon drawings dedicated to Charlie Parker, then only appreciated by a few hip cats. Later in 1967 he drew a comic strip on the back of 'Between The Buttons'. Charlie started playing drums well after the swing era had faded but in 1985 he realised a dream when he brought his own big band into Ronnie Scot's club; numbering some thirty players with three drummers it included saxophonists Don Weller, (known as sink a pint of Scotch by lunchtime), a young Courtney Pine and Jack Bruce on his first instrument, 'cello. It was such fun that he took it to the U.S. the following year. "These guys I haven't played with for twenty years and I'm having as good a time as the audience" he said. He still plays very smoothly with the brushes, maybe something to do with his early liking for drummer Chico Hamilton.
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