Charlie Watts’ final months: throat cancer diagnosis and the Stones’ tribute in his absence

In August 2021, the Rolling Stones lost their anchor. Charlie Watts died at 80 in a London hospital, surrounded by family. The cause was complications from emergency throat cancer surgery—he’d been diagnosed earlier that year but kept it quiet, canceling the band’s No Filter tour dates to recover. The cancer had spread, and the procedure was serious enough that he never made it back to the kit.

The band honored him by continuing the tour with Steve Jordan on drums, as Watts had personally approved. At their first show without him, in St. Louis, they left a lone microphone and spotlight on his empty drum riser during “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll.” They also played a video tribute and kept his name on the stage banner. Jagger said it felt “a bit weird” but that Charlie would have wanted the show to go on.