Det er dagen derpå at den levende lyd af den karakteristiske og klippefaste puls i The Rolling Stones – Charlie Watts – slog for sidste gang. Hans betydning for The Rolling Stones – og derved rockhistorien – og millioner af tilhængere og tusindvis af kollegaer kan nærmest umuligt overvurderes. Reaktionerne er væltet ind via de sociale medier. Vi har nedenfor samlet et lille udpluk fra ind- og udland.
Musikjournalist Steffen Jungersen aka Dr. Rock:
“Jeg er knust. The king of swing, the baron of the beat, the Wembley Whammer er taget fra os.
De sang engang en sang, der hedder “All Over Now”, og nu ER det forbi med det band, som skrev lydsporet til mit liv. Da Charlie engang i 1969 hamrede introen til “Honky Tonk Women” afsted, solgte jeg min sjæl til rock’n’roll.”
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Musikjournalist Erik Jensen:
”En søjle under den musikalske verdenshistorie er væltet med Charlie Watts død. Jeg vil aldrig glemme hans tørre humor og underfundige smil fra de gange, jeg har mødt ham. Men først og fremmest bliver vi alle erindret om hans særlige swing mellem jazz og rock hvergang, vi hører Rolling Stones. Hvad man jo fremdeles bør gøre dagligt eller i hvert fald hyppigt….”
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Musikjournalist Kurt Baagø:
”Der gror aldrig mos på en rullesten, men intet holder evigt.
Tak for trommerne, Charlie Watts, du var indirekte årsag til, at mit liv har været så fuld af musik.
Da min sanglærer i folkeskolen, Holger Lauman fortalte, at han havde spillet jazz med Charlie Watts i Randers, fortalte det mig, at musik er lige så vigtigt og meget sjovere, som at lære at læse, skrive og regne.”
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Radiovært Carsten Holm:
”Mick Jagger og Keith Richards vidste altid, at de gerne ville have ham til at spille trommer. Men de turde ikke at spørge ham, før de selv var gode nok til at få et spillejob, der gav penge. Han var nemlig god og spillede jazz.
Første job, for andet end en kasse øl, spurgte de ham, et sted i London, 1963. Han sagde ‘ja’ og har siden spillet alle jobs som trommeslageren i Rolling Stones.
Indtil nu.
Tak for rytmerne, Charlie Watts.“
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Musikjournalist og musiker Per Wium: – gentager i den triste anledning nogle af de ord hans skrev da Charlie Watts tidligere på året fyldt 80 år …
”… jeg er så vild med Charlies trommespil. Han spiller enkelt og steady. På een og samme tid effektivt og afdæmpet. Enkle fills markerer overgang til nye afsnit i musikken. Og ikke mindst: Jeg ELSKER hans “high-hat”-åbninger.
NB! Der er masser af afsnit om Watts i kollega Richards’ herlige selvbiografi “Livet”. Du må ikke gå gennem dit liv uden at have læst beretningen om dengang Charlie stod op og knock’out-ede Mick Jagger på et hotelværelse i Amsterdam for mange år siden.”
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Musiker Stephan Grabowski
”Tak for ren magi, fantastiske Charlie Watts!! Ingen kunne sætte et enkelt, effektivt back beat som dig! Master drummer!! Rolling Stones er vores dejlige minder nu. Kan aldrig være det samme uden dig”
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Musiker Michael Falch:
Ӄn af rockens vigtigste skikkelser nogensinde, selv om han egentlig slet ikke var til rock, men til jazz. Og slet ikke til punkede looks og attituder, men til gentleman style og klassisk herremode.
Jeg tror ikke, at der har været én eneste dag gennem alle årene i øvelokalet med MALURT, med De Nye Rejsende, med Boat Man Love eller DÉT BAND, hvor vi ikke lige har vendt, hvad Charlie Watts mon ville spille i sådan en situation. Med hans særlige spil på hi hat’en, som han helt unikt ikke slog an på lilletrommeslagene. Trods sine forbehold overfor rock står Charlie på side 1 i rockens ABC. Basalt, men samtidig med sin egen skæve elegance og så uendeligt svært at kopiere.
Jeg kan ikke forestille mig Stones uden Charlie Watts og med kun Mick og Keith som tilbageværende founding members. Charlies død ligner unægtelig en endelig afsked med historiens største rockband.
Sørgeligt, ja, men vi har faneme også fået, så hi hatten passede. Tak, Charlie.”
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Vennerne Mona Samir Frost Sørensen & Søren Frost
”Os og Charlie. Rip❤️ Den sødeste, blideste mand, som tog sig så godt af Søren og mig, da vi var hans private gæster på Roskilde i 2014.
Det var få måneder efter, at Søren blev kørt ned – hvor han under indlæggelsen på Riget blev oversvømmet med blomster fra Charlie. Blomsterne fyldte det halve af stuen.
Vi mødte Charlie nogle år forinden, da han spillede med DR Big Band. Søren var også med, og bagefter modtog Charlie en buket på scenen. Den overrakte han til Søren, som havde gjort arbejdet, mente han. Charlie elskede at spille jazz.
“Actually, I don’t like rock’n roll, except with my own band, The Rolling Stones. I prefer jazz
Musiker Klaus Menzer:
”Må du groove videre i himmelen. Tak. For dine beats som kun du kunne spille. Du var en Ener !!!! ”
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Musiker Sheryl Crow:
“A hero is gone. No words. A huge gaping hole in the universe.”
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Musiker Eddie Vedder på vegne af Pearl Jam.
“We are so deeply, deeply saddened to hear of Charlie Watts passing. The impact he’s had on musicians and listeners across the planet is profound. His drumming style and drum sound will live on forever in the songs. The songs that are forever in our hearts. That’s where Charlie will be now. We were so lucky to have him.”
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Musiker Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead) :
“Charlie Watts was a colossus in the world of rock ‘n’ roll drumming. His hands and feet danced like Nureyev, so elegant, so graceful…the bedrock of The Rolling Stones. Don’t worry Charlie, I’m told there’s rock ‘n’ roll in heaven.”
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Musiker Jimmy Barnes (Cold Chisel):
“Charlie always played way back. He had a back beat like no other. But he drove the Stones to greatness. Understated in everything except style. The world of music has lost a great man, RIP Charlie Watts”
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Musiker Randy Bachman:
“Rock ‘n’ Roll has lost one of its greatest drummers and time keepers of all time. Many dozens of times, I’ve said to many drummers, “Please just play like Charlie Watts!” What a legacy of music he leaves behind. Incredible. Sending peace to loved ones. Rock on in heaven, Charlie!”
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Musiker Tony Lommi (Black Sabbath):
“So sorry to hear the very sad news of Charlie Watts passing. He was such a nice guy and a major influence in the music business – he’ll be sadly missed”
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Musiker John Oates på vegne af Hall & Oates:
“No matter what song the Stones played… it always had a deep groove… that was Charlie Watts…he will be missed.”
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Musiker Robert Hirst på vegne af Midnight Oil:
“The coolest drummer with the best sound, a member-of-the-band player rather than a look-at-me soloist, Charlie Watts was a constant inspiration – as a musician and as a man. From jazz beginnings in London, Charlie Watts moved effortlessly with The Rolling Stones into blues, rock, reggae, country and disco, always playing seductive feels and hypnotic beats.
Watts tuned his simple Gretsch kit to perfection: he played using the traditional stick grip of his jazz heroes, slamming his distinctive snare drum, sitting up high behind the drums with a commanding view of the stage and audience. He never once broke a sweat.
Vale Charlie. People everywhere will mourn your loss today, and dance to your grooves forever.”
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Musiker Bob Crawford på vegne af The Avett Brothers:
“Someone once told me that Charlie Watts doesn’t hit the drums, he pulls the sound out of them. In a band full of outrageous characters, Charlie Watts was the center of gravity. Like a ticking watch in the eye of a hurricane. Quiet and reserved, a good man”
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Musiker Warren Haynes:
“Charlie Watts was the heartbeat of Rock & Roll. No one provided more backbeat, rhythm, personality, and style to Rock & Roll music, and he continued to do so for almost 60 years. I have near-visual memories of being in my bedroom, nine years old, and listening to the single of “Honky Tonk Women” over and over. Not the whole song (which I loved) but the drum intro—over…and…over—literally ten times in a row at who knows how many different sittings. It was and is the coolest thing. Not just what he played which is fantastic, but the way it sounded. It has that intangible, indescribable, magical thing that epitomizes rock and roll that draws us in and hooks us in a way that is unexplainable and lifelong. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cited that 8 second moment, (17 seconds if you count the guitar intro) when talking to other musicians or friends who are huge music fans, as an example of what rock and roll is.”
Musiker Brian Wilson (Beach Boys):
“I’m just shocked to hear about Charlie Watts. I don’t know what to say, I feel terrible for Charlie’s family. Charlie was a great drummer and I loved the Stones music, they made great records. Love & Mercy.”
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Musiker Simon Kirke på vegne af Bad Company:
“The passing of Charlie Watts marked a sad day in rock and roll. Not only was he a big influence on my playing but he was a friend. He was a gentle soul, impeccable not only in his drumming but in his manners, his dress sense and the way he treated his fellow man. We knew this day would come, as it will for all of us, but now it’s here it hurts like hell. I will miss him.”
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Bandet Steel Pulse:
“RIP Charlie Watts. Your beat will never stop, never stop, never stop”
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Afslutningsvis så henviser skuespiller Jamie Lee Curtis et opslag blot til et tidligere citat fra Keith Richard:
“Everybody thinks Mick and Keith are the Rolling Stones. If Charlie wasn’t doing what he’s doing on drums, that wouldn’t be true at all. You’d find out that Charlie Watts is the Stones.”