Mick Jagger on Charlie Watts...

Mick Jagger on Charlie Watts: “He held the band together for so long, musically, because he was the rock the rest of it was built around,” Jagger explained. “The thing he brought was this beautiful sense of swing and swerve that most bands wish they could have.

He wasn’t just a straight rock drummer, Charlie brought another sensibility, the jazz touch. And he didn’t play very heavy.” Still, added the singer, Watts could also be “straight-ahead” on songs like “Get Off of My Cloud.”

We would get into a groove. He would understand what I was trying to do, and I would understand what he was trying to do. That was different from a guitar player’s relationship. And I had that with Charlie, developed over many, many years.

Meanwhile, Richards said he and Watts immediately bonded over their distaste for “show biz” and a shared preference for focusing on music. The legendary guitarist described Watts’ consistency in a unique manner: “A most vital part of being in this band was that Charlie Watts was my bed. I could lay on there, and I know that not only would I have a good sleep, but I’d wake up and it’d still be rocking.”

Wood chimed in by saying Watts let his drums do the talking. “He certainly had his powerful views,” said Wood. “But he said it with his playing. He just spoke through his instrument.”