Charlie Watts Dead and Replaced: The Rolling Stones Moving on With New Drummer?

Charlie Watts will be replaced on The Rolling Stones as the band continues its legacy while honoring the late drummer.

Ahead of The Rolling Stones' 60^th anniversary this year, Keith Richards appeared in the Rolling Stone Music Now's interview and expressed how it all seems impossible that they have been performing for a long time.

Although the interview is about the rock band's present career, Richards also mentioned Charlie Watts, who they lost years ago.

Charlie Watts Replaced?

According to Richards, reports about Watts finishing work on their band's studio album before his death are false. Per the musician, they were still halfway through it when the drummer died.

For what it's worth, the legendary drummer died at the age of 80 in August 2021. The band's representative confirmed that watts underwent a successful medical procedure before his death. It remains unknown what the surgery was for, but he previously received treatments for his throat cancer in 2004.

Although Watts is no longer with the band, Richards revealed they already have their eyes on Steve Jordan as the replacement.

"We do have a lot of stuff of Charlie Watts still in the can," he said. "We were halfway through making an album when he died... Of course, if we want to carry on recording, we're gonna need drums, and it's gonna be Steve Jordan."

With that said, it is safe to say that The Rolling Stones is ready to move on. Despite that, Richards initially felt reluctant to tour without Watts, saying he could not do it without the original drummer.

But then he was reminded of the time when Watts told him they could still do it with Jordan, and that the drummer could take his place anytime.

The Rolling Stones Blaming COVID-19

Before Richards' recent interview, the surviving members of the band sat for an interview with the Los Angeles Times, where they blamed the COVID-19 pandemic as the main cause of the album release's delay.

The trio said they worked on new songs with Watts before his death. However, the health issue kept them away from the studio.

"If everything hadn't gotten closed down, we might've finished the d*** thing," Richards said. "You haven't heard the last of Charlie Watts."

The Rolling Stones kept Watts' legacy alive in their recent projects. During the North American leg of their "No Filter" tour at St. Louis' the Dome at America's Center, they opened the show with a heartfelt tribute to the late drummer.

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The Rolling Stones, Charlie Watts