Yesterday we learned of Charlie Watts’ death. The Rolling Stones will never be the same again…they’ve lost their beat.

Part of Charlie’s elegance was his modesty. He never indulged in self-adulation. He referred to himself as a copyist. “I learned by watching” he said.

“The challenge with rock and roll is the regularity of it. My thing is to make it a dance sound–it should swing and dance.”

Charlie once punched Mick Jagger for having referred to him as “my drummer”.

Charlie also played jazz. He said playing intensely but very quietly is very hard but very necessary for jazz. It sounds like a philosophy of life.

Today, when I try to keep the rhythm of my internal beat, I will be thinking of Charlie.

Ciao Charlie. Thanks for the example you set.

-30-

Related: Flashback: Martin Scorsese Captures a Charlie Watts–Centric ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’…The clip demonstrates how Watts has quietly served as the backbone of the Rolling Stones for the past 58 years.