When I wrote the story that Charlie Watts had left The Rolling Stones back in September 2009 it sent shockwaves across the world. Stones fans everywhere went into denial. Stones spokesperson Fran Curtis childishly reverted to calling us names.
It is becoming more apparent that Charlie Watts is no longer a touring member of the band.Today in the Herald Sun, respected music journalist Nui Te Koha backed up the original Undercover story
stating “US drummer Steve Jordan will stand in for Charlie Watts, who has vowed to quit world touring” on the band’s next tour”.
Jordan has a history with The Stones and especially with Keith. He played in Keith’s other band The X-pensive Winos. Our original story named Charley Drayton, also an X-Pensive Wino, as the drummer. That’s the only part that has changed in the 9 months since the original story.
While Charlie may have stopped touring with the band, he is definitely still very much part of The Rolling Stones as a business. There has certainly been no indication that he will not record with the band, just that he won't tour.
The Stones have a history of denying stories. When Bill Wyman left the band, it took 18 months for confirmation. At the time they were in hiatus and simply denied he had quit. When they got back together, Bill wasn’t there.
The Stones have a similar window of opportunity to deny Charlie won’t be behind the drum-kit for the next tour. They have been vocal in the past two weeks talking up the expanded and remastered ‘Exile On Main Street’. That has lead to lots of questions about when they will be back on the road, to which Keith Richards has responded “not this year”.
2012 is the obvious time for The Stones to go back on the road. It will mark their 50th anniversary.
No doubt there will be more Charlie Watts has left the band denials this week. To put it back into Stonespeak “time is on our side”.
Original Undercover story from September 2, 2009:
EXCLUSIVE: Charlie Watts Quits The Rolling Stones
Undercover has learned that Charlie Watts has quit The Rolling Stones.
A source within the Stones inner-circle says, “Charlie Watts has quit the band. He will never tour with the band again”.
The news does not come as a surprise. It was common knowledge that Keith Richards had to talk Charlie into contributing to the A Bigger Bang tour but this time it seems there is no calling Charlie back to active duty.
“The Stones are looking to Keith's Expensive Winos drummer Charley Drayton to fill the void in all future Stones' callings,” our source says.
With Mick Jagger planning more Stones activity next year, the departure of Charlie will be a huge blow to the band. Charlie was the backbone of the band.
The 68-year old drummer simply doesn't want to do it anymore.
Charlie joined the Rolling Stones in January, 1963. He didn’t expect it would last. In fact, he kept his day job for several months until the band started to feel like a career.
Charlie’s decision to quit the band comes a three years short of the Stones 50th anniversary.
The Stones A Bigger Bang tour ran from August 2005 to August 2007. It was the highest tour of all-time.
