Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts passed away on Aug. 24 at a hospital.
Watts, 80, “passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family,” the drummer’s spokesperson said in a statement.
“Charlie was a cherished husband, father, and grandfather and also as a member of The Rolling Stones one of the greatest drummers of his generation,” the spokesperson added.
The cause of death was not made public and Watts’ family is asking for privacy.
The band said recently that Watts, who joined the band in early 1963, was going to miss its upcoming United States tour after undergoing a medical procedure.
Watts said in a statement at the time that he had been “working hard to get fully fit but I have today accepted on the advice of the experts that this will take a while.”
“After all the fans’ suffering caused by Covid, I really do not want the many RS fans who have been holding tickets for this tour to be disappointed by another postponement or cancellation. I have therefore asked my great friend Steve Jordan to stand in for me,” he said.
The tour is slated to start on Sept. 16 in St. Louis, Missouri, followed by shows in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Louisiana, California, Minnesota, Florida, Texas, Nevada, Georgia, and Michigan.
Watts was previously found to have throat cancer but recovered after several surgeries.
