Quotes by Charlie Watts

About Charlie Watts:

Charles Robert "Charlie" Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. 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. He has also toured with his own group, the Charlie Watts Quintet, and appeared at London’s prestigious jazz-club Ronnie Scott’s with the Charlie Watts Tentet.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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

Charlie Watts

You need better technique than I have to play jazz, but what you have to do is the same thing, isn't it?

Charlie Watts

When I was a kid I never learned to play. I actually got in bands through watching people play and copying them.

Charlie Watts

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

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

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

Charlie Watts

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

Charlie Watts

Usually I can hear the pianos, the saxophone, and usually I can hear Ronnie. But I really need to listen to Keith and Mick. The rest of the band is sort of an embellishment to that.

Charlie Watts

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

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

Charlie Watts

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 sex and drugs and rock and roll and I'm not really like that. I've never really seen the Rolling ...

Charlie Watts

You'd imagine Mick would be the happiest person in the world, and yet a lot of the times he isn't.

Charlie Watts

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

Charlie Watts

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

Charlie Watts

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

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

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

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

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

Charlie Watts

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

Author Bio

  • NameCharlie Watts
  • DescriptionBritish rock musician, member of The Rolling Stones
  • BornJune 2, 1941
  • CountryUnited Kingdom
  • ProfessionDrummer; Jazz Musician