The Rolling Stones talk about their late friend Charlie Watts | music | entertainment

As one of the biggest rock bands ever to exist with 60 years of touring experience, it’s no surprise that Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and the late Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones have so many stories to share.

The band has withstood many trials and tribulations over the years, with drugs and the fallout threatening to destroy the band multiple times.

But like any good entertainers, the show should go on, like a “relentless juggernaut,” according to Richards.

With Watts’ tragic passing last year at the age of 80, his bandmates are fondly remembered in the emotional interviews of a new four-part BBC documentary series My Life as a Rolling Stone.

And he better takes us through those unforgettable moments of The Stones in their own words:

make up: Everyone was taking a lot of medication at that time (the seventies). The band had to go to rehab for a year, including me. But you know you take the roughness with the smooth.

Keith: hard things are not called hard things for nothing. It’s better if you are tough enough to deal with.

rune: In the crazy days I got out of hand. I used to take it to parties and thought it was the best thing to happen. I used to say at parties ‘You have to try this’.

It’s gotten to the point where it’s not funny anymore. The high… it was dangerous. You will do anything for her.

“Do you need a little help?” said Mick. And I said, “Sure, I’ll give it a try.” This was my first rehab. After doing this for so many years your body thinks it needs it but I can’t handle it anymore. It was the beginning of my vision of the light.

In 1967 for possession of LSD after a party at Keith’s mansion in West Sussex Redlands:

make up: When you’re on acid and you get caught it’s pretty weird. It’s not fun to be caught at all – acid exposure is really dismal.

It was a waste of everyone’s time. It had repercussions far beyond just drug seizures. It had social implications such as “What’s wrong with people who smoke drugs?” This is when it first appeared. It has become a great discussion.

In 1977, he was arrested in Toronto for heroin use, and faces 20 years in prison:

Keith: The reason I take it is how to deal with fame and pressure. It is one way to escape. I don’t recommend it to anyone. It’s a tough old world and sometimes you need something to unload it. Maybe not worth the ride.

The realization in Canada was that I was endangering the band. If they’re going to put me away, it’s goodbye. If I’m going to get out of this and not have to get cold
Turkey in prison I’ll go and clean up.

make up: I miss Charlie on many levels. I miss wanting to play this new groove and I want to say how bad England did in the Test match yesterday. I miss him so much.

Keith: I still deal with it. Charlie was the engine. The best drummer ever produced by England.

It’s very hard to put people like Charlie Watts in their pockets. They don’t make pockets for people like Charlie. He is a completely unique man.

rune: When Charlie died we were dumbfounded. We have Charlie’s spirit playing with us. One special word. The clothes had a layer of tissue paper between every shirt, every sock, every underpants, and every jacket. Nothing is out of place.

Stones… on the road for 60 years

Keith: Mick and I look at each other and think “we should be doing something right”. I don’t know what this is. The idea of ​​exciting people for 60 years is like “stop”. The thing is relentless, it’s like a juggernaut.

Not many people get the chance to do that with thousands of people, you know, as a job. When you share such great appreciation with each other, it is very touching. Music is such a resilient thing and sometimes I think “Oh my God, it’s the only thing we have that we can trust.” Many years ago I gave up trying to figure out why and how it works. The best remedy is to put it in a room and go “1..2.3..4” and all the problems are gone.

make up: I don’t mind controlling situations. Someone must control an organization like this. It’s not just about music. I represent the band in a way to make sure they don’t get f*****. One of my big business is being a really big show. This is my two hour job, to make people feel good.

I’m lucky that I can still sing the same note when I was 19 but don’t have a great voice. this is good.

Rooney on Mick: He is more watchful and orderly than he knows. It’s just what it was created for. He knows what he wants and you know when he knows ’cause he starts responding and starts singing and he’s ‘Vooom, voom, voom’.

Keith On Make: best commander in the field. He’ll get up there and do his thing. There are a lot of facets and differences to him but he’s really an honest guy you know, under all the hell.

make up: He is very shy. Since I knew it as a kid and became a teenager, I know what it really is. If you are open in business then you are in a good place. If you are an introvert, it will probably cause you some pain.

Keith: I think sometimes I use (shyness) as a weapon. You are ashamed of these crowds and things.

I would have been very happy to make all these logs completely anonymous but… that’s not possible. You have to go out there. I thoroughly enjoyed it but I think my refuge was heroin, it was drugs and I stayed there as long as possible.

rune: I was sitting on this sofa one night and (guitarist) Mick Taylor was there. Taylor leans over to Jagger and says, “I’m leaving the band. I’m leaving now.”

Mick asked if I was going to participate and I said, “I thought you’d never ask.” I had this feeling of coming home when I joined. Keith found his little brother.

Keith: My great friend. What he brought was a whole new sense of purpose.

make up: People say “Oh you are like brothers, it’s like family.” It’s not like family. I know what it means to have a brother and it’s not like being with Keith at all. It is friendship and work together. Just as in friendships or love relationships, people have roles to play but those roles change. It is in constant flux.

Keith: It’s like “what an argument.” It’s all storms in cups of tea. Before I knew it, Mick and I had a “fight” just to keep everyone happy, you know? It gets silly. No, we are tight.

Rooney on addressing the rift between Mick and Keith in the ’80s when the band almost split up for good.

rune: I called Mick and said “If you get Keith in 15 minutes, are you going to talk to him?” He said, “Yes.” I had to keep this thing in motion. There is a link that cannot be broken.