The Rolling Stones in 2019.Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty
On Thursday, the remaining members of the iconic rock band —Mick Jagger, Keith Richards andRonnie Wood— spoke to theLos Angeles Timesand shared that they recorded new music before Watts died on Aug. 24 at age 80.
The group was working on their next studio album when the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the recording progress. However, Richards, 77, told the outlet that Watts was able to record multiple songs before his hospitalization.
“If everything hadn’t gotten closed down, we might’ve finished the damn thing,” he said before Jagger, 78, added, “We have a lot of tracks done, so when the tour’s finished we’ll assess where we are with that and continue.”
Richards continued, “Let me put it this way, you haven’t heard the last of Charlie Watts.”
The Rolling Stones.Samir Hussein/WireImage
The Rolling Stones are currently on theirNoFiltertour, admitting to theTimesthat it’s been a hard adjustment hitting the stage without Watts.
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A large photo of Watts flashed on screen, something the frontman said was “really quite emotional,” perCNN.
“This is our first-ever tour we’ve ever done without him,” said Jagger, who held hands with Richards as he spoke. “We’ll miss Charlie so much, on and off the stage.”
The band went on to play “Tumbling Dice,” which they dedicated to their beloved drummer, AP reports.
Charlie Watts.David Wolff - Patrick/Redferns
PEOPLE confirmedWatts' deathon Aug. 24.
Watts had undergone anunspecified medical procedureearlier that month, which a spokesperson said was “completely successful.” However, his spokesperson said he was unlikely to join the band on their tour.
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“With rehearsals starting in a couple of weeks it’s very disappointing to say the least, but it’s also fair to say no one saw this coming,” the spokesperson added at the time.
In a statement of his own, Watts joked that for once, his timing was “a little off,” and that he was “working hard to get fully fit” before stepping behind his drum kit once more.
TheNo Filtertour will end on Nov. 20 in Austin.
source: people.com
