Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty
The Rolling Stones drummerCharlie Wattsmay have been known as the quietest member of the British rock band, but he knew how to make a statement with his style.
Watts, whodied at the age of 80 last month, had a genuine appreciation for fashion, his longtime stylist and friend William Gilchrist wrote in BritishGQ: “[He would] spend an equal amount of time discussing fabrics and finishings with his tailor. His pleasure was always palpable as I watched him wade through swatches; appreciating, feeling and considering.”
His love for dressing ran so deep that Watts found joy in collecting stylish suits from the late Edward VIII, Gilchrist confirmed toGQ.
Throughout his lifetime, Watts acquired “several hundred suits,” just as many pairs of shoes and countless custom shirts and ties, theNew York Timesreported.
“To be honest, I have a very old-fashioned and traditional mode of dress.” WattstoldGQin a 2012 profile. “While I love fashion — I go to all the shops regularly, wherever I am — I have to adapt it to myself, but nothing fits me cause I’m too small, so I’ll look at the clothes, then go back and try to adapt them.”
Charlie Watts.David Wolff - Patrick/Redferns
“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 statement continued. “We kindly request that the privacy of his family, band members and close friends is respected at this difficult time.”
Watts — who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside his bandmates in 1989 —recently underwent an unspecified medical procedure, which a spokesperson said earlier this month was “completely successful.” He previously underwent treatment for throat cancer in 2004.
He married wife Shirley in 1964, and toldNMEin 2018 that the reason his marriage was so successful was “because I’m not really a rockstar.”
“I don’t have all the trappings of that… I’ve never been interested in doing interviews or being seen,” he said. “I love it and I do interviews because I want people to come and see the band. The Rolling Stones exist because people come to the shows.”
Charlie and Shirley Watts.Ron Galella Collection via Getty
In the same interview, Watts said that he hadn’t given much thought to retiring, though he did think the band might call it quits at the end of each tour.
“I hope [when it ends] that everyone says, ‘That’ll be it.’ I’d hate for it to be a bloody big argument,” he said. “But to say this is the last show wouldn’t be a particularly sad moment, not to me anyway. I’ll just carry on as I was yesterday or today.”
source: people.com
