Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts to miss upcoming tour

5 August 2021, 15:38

Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts is set to miss the band's upcoming tour in autumn as he recovers from a medical procedure.

A spokesman for Charlie, 80, confirmed he would be "unlikely to be available for the resumption of the Rolling Stones USA No Filter Tour" as he recovers from an unspecified medical procedure.

Taking his place on the drums will be Steve Jordan, who has worked closely with band member Keith Richards a lot in the past.

In a statement released on Twitter, Watts 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.

"After all the fans' suffering caused by Covid, I really do not want the many fans who have been holding tickets for this tour to be disappointed by another postponement or cancellation.

"I have therefore asked my great friend Steve Jordan to stand in for me."

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Following the announcement, Watts' fellow band member - Sir Mick Jagger - said The Rolling Stones looked forward to welcoming him back "as soon as he is fully recovered".

Until then, Jordan said it was an "absolute honour and privilege" to be Watts' understudy.

The tour is set to begin in St Louis on September 26, with dates also scheduled for Pittsburgh, Nashville, Minneapolis, Dallas and more. It was initially postponed last year.

Watts was previously treated for throat cancer at London's Royal Marsden Hospital in 2004.