Charlie Watts Quotes

• Rock and roll has probably given more than it’s taken.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Taken, Given, Rock

• When people talk about the ’60s I never think that was me there. It was me and I was in it, but I was never enamoured with all that. It’s supposed to be s*x and drugs and rock and roll and I’m not really like that. I’ve never really seen the Rolling Stones as anything.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Anything, Rock

• A lot of our tracks have sounded a lot better than I thought they would because of recording, mixing, and because I probably didn’t hear it that way. I’m not a songwriter.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Better, Thought

• For some reason at 12 or 13, I just heard Gerry Milligan and fell in love with that, whatever it was called.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Reason, Whatever

• I don’t need to hear Bill to go through a song. I need to hear Keith to go through a song. I know Bill will be playing what I’m playing anyway. I need to hear Keith because it’s all there: the time, the chord changes, and all the licks you have to follow.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Need, Song, Playing

• I didn’t know what the hell Charlie Parker was playing… I just liked the way he played.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Playing, Liked

• I don’t like drum solos, to be honest with you, but if anybody ever told me he didn’t like Buddy Rich I’d right away say go and see him, at least the once.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Rich, Honest

• I think you get to a point where you watch something just to enjoy it. I don’t think it’s really done so that you’re supposed to feel, Oh, he’s the most wonderful drummer. I think the whole lot is what’s more enjoyable.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Done, Enjoy, Whole

• I hate leaving home. I love what I do, but I’d love to go home every night.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Hate, Leaving, Home

• I never had lessons. Used to try to play to records, which I hated doing. Still can’t play to them.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Doing, Play

• I saw Al Foster with Miles Davis the other week. It was beautiful. But, the whole thing was, Al Foster played as well as everybody else, but all of them were quite brilliant under Miles Davis’ direction.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Beautiful, Brilliant

• I wanted to play drums because I fell in love with the glitter and the lights, but it wasn’t about adulation. It was being up there playing.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Play, Playing

• I think it’s an awful drink, to be honest with you.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Honest, Think

• I’m very strict with my packing and have everything in its right place. I never change a rule. I hardly use anything in the hotel room. I wheel my own wardrobe in and that’s it.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Change, Everything, Anything

• It doesn’t really change, actually. I think The Rolling Stones have gotten a lot better. An awful lot better, I think. A lot of people don’t, but I think they have, and to me that’s gratifying. It’s worth it.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Change, Better

• It’s been years and years and years I’ve been playing the drums, and they’re still a challenge. I still enjoy using drumsticks and a snare drum.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Challenge

  Tags in Enjoy, Playing

• Mick’s not good on his own problems, but he’s very good at other people’s. He’s been wonderful over the years. I don’t mean I ring him up every week, but he’s fantastic.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Mean, People

• People say I play real loud. I don’t, actually. I’m recorded loud and a lot of that is because we have good engineers. Mick knows what a good drum sound is as well, so that’s part of the illusion really. I can’t play loud.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in People, Real

• The world of this is a load of crap. You get all these bloody people, so incredibly sycophantic.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in People, Incredibly

• To be able to play as slow as Al Jackson is almost impossible.

  Charlie Watts

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Impossible, Play

Charlie Watts (25)

Birth:	2nd June, 1941
Nationality:	British
Profession:	Drummer, Graphic Designer

About

Charles Robert "Charlie" Watts was born in Kingsbury, London, England. He is an  English drummer. Originally trained as a graphic artist, he started playing drums in London’s rhythm and blues clubs, where he met Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards. In 1963, he joined their group, the Rolling Stones, as drummer, while doubling as designer of their record-sleeves and tour-stages. In 2006, Watts was elected into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame.

Related Authors

• Ikue Mori
• Ginger Baker
• Anthony Tillmon Williams
• John Otto
• Ty Segall
• Cliff Martinez
• Jon Fishman
• Travis Barker
• Bill Kreutzmann
• Jack Irons

Advertisement

Today's Anniversary - 22nd January

Births

• 1953 - Steve Chabot
• 1962 - Melissa Bean
• 1981 - Willa Ford
• 1935 - Pete du Pont
• 1858 - Beatrice Webb

Deaths

• 1994 - Telly Savalas
• 1968 - Duke Kahanamoku
• 1903 - Augustus Hare
• 1973 - Lyndon B. Johnson
• 1798 - Lewis Morris