The Rolling Stones recently announced that their U.S. tour will kick off without their drummer Charlie Watts.
According to a spokesman for the missing musician, due to an unspecified medical procedure, the legendary drummer is unlikely to join the rock band’s No Filter Tour, which resumes in St Louis in September.
In a Twitter page statement shared by Rolling Stones, the 80-year-old skins player said, “For once my timing has been a little off. I am working hard to get fully fit but I have today accepted on the advice of the experts that this will take a while.”
The British band members expressed their well-wishes for their commrade, including guitarist Keith Richards, who tweeted: “This has been a bit of a blow to all of us, to say the least, and we’re all wishing for Charlie to have a speedy recovery and to see him as soon as possible.”
Not the first time medical issues have plagued the rock band’s North American tour, initial dates were cancelled in 2019 due too frontman Mick Jagger‘s heart surgery and the 2020 rescheduled dates were subsequently postponed due to of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In order to avoid further delays, Watts asked Steve Jordan (who’s played with Keith in his X-Pensive Winos side-project,) to stand in for the next set of shows. “It is an absolute honour and a privilege to be Charlie’s understudy and I am looking forward to rehearsing with Mick, Keith and Ronnie.” “No one will be happier than me to give up my seat on the drum-riser as soon as Charlie tells me he is good to go.” said the replacement drummer.
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Author: Brad LeBeau
Photo: Michael Conen