Charlie Watts, the longtime drummer of The Rolling Stones has died, his publicist announced Tuesday. He was 80.
"It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts," his publicist Bernard Doherty said in a statement to the BBC. "He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family."
The statement continued: "We kindly request that the privacy of his family, band members and close friends is respected at this difficult time."
The Rolling Stones announced that Watts would not be a part of their upcoming No Filter tour after undergoing an unspecified medical procedure. Longtime Stones associate Steve Jordan, who is a member of Keith Richards’ side project X-Pensive Winos, took his place.
“Charlie has had a procedure which was completely successful, but his doctors this week concluded that he now needs proper rest and recuperation,” a rep for the band said in a statement at the time. “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.”