An official biography of Charlie Watts, authorised by both The Rolling Stones and Watts’ family, has been announced.
- READ MORE: Charlie Watts, 1941 – 2021: the ballast that kept The Rolling Stones tempered and on-track
Charlie’s Good Tonight: The Authorised Biography of Charlie Watts is due to be released on September 15 in the UK and October 11 in the US, according to Rolling Stone. The book features forewords from both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, plus a prelude from the band’s former manager/producer Andrew Loog Oldham.
The longtime Rolling Stones drummer died at the age of 80 last August prompting a huge outpouring of tributes from the music world and beyond.
His surviving bandmates reflected on the “huge loss” in September last year before later dedicating their first show of 2021 to Watts.
The new biography has been written by author-broadcaster Paul Sexton and includes new interviews with Jagger, Richards, and Ronnie Wood, as well as friends, family and collaborators.
“Our dear friend Charlie Watts was not just a fantastic drummer but a wonderful person,” the Rolling Stones said in a statement. “He was funny and generous and a man of great taste and we miss him terribly. It’s great that his family have authorized this official biography by Paul Sexton, who’s been writing and broadcasting about Charlie and the band for many years.”
So here’s my news, with humble thanks to Charlie’s family, @HarperCollinsUK @mudlarkbooks and of course the @RollingStones. UK publication is Sept. 15. Pre-order: https://t.co/1PSphcTm1R https://t.co/u42Y1NxbMt
— Paul Sexton (@psexton3) July 1, 2022
Sexton added: “One of Charlie’s good friends said to me that he was a very easy man to love. Having had the pleasure of his company on so many occasions over the course of more than a quarter of a century, that’s a sentiment I echo wholeheartedly. To be able, with the help and encouragement of those who knew him best, to draw on my time with this unique man and his fellow Rolling Stones to write his authorized biography, is a thrill and an honor.”
The Stones’ ‘SIXTY’ UK and European anniversary tour kicked off in Madrid on June 1. At that show, they delivered the first-ever live performance of their 1966 single ‘Out Of Time’ and delivered a tribute to Watts.
Filling his spot on the ‘SIXTY’ tour is session drummer Steve Jordan, who the band confirmed in March would record parts for their upcoming 24th album.
The Stones postponed two gigs on the tour in Amsterdam, Netherlands and Bern, Switzerland due to Jagger’s ill health, resuming in Milan on June 21. The band are due to play the second of their BST Hyde Park shows on July 3, with Sam Fender and Courtney Barnett on support.