Mick Jagger Says This Charlie Watts Story Isn’t True
Mick Jagger claims a now legendary story about Charlie Watts punching him in the face isn’t true.
The story was shared in Keith Richards’ 2010 memoir Life. As Keef told it, during a wild night in Amsterdam in 1984, a drunk Jagger called Watts’ hotel room and asked, “Where’s my drummer?” This led to Watts meeting Jagger in the hotel following a shower and a shave. He then punched Jagger and said, “Don’t ever call me your drummer again. You’re my f—ing singer!”
Now, in a new interview with Mojo, Jagger says of the story, “Didn’t happen … Keith invented that story.”
If Keith invented that story, let’s get him in a writer’s room on some TV shows. That’s the kind of hilarious drama people love!
Countdown to Hackney Diamonds
Watts, of course, is featured on the new Rolling Stones album, Hackney Diamonds, which comes out this Friday (October 20). Watts drums on two tracks: “Mess It Up” and “Live by the Sword.” The latter track also features original Stones bassist Bill Wyman and Elton John. Other guests on the album include Paul McCartney, who plays on “Bite My Head Off.”
Two tracks have been previewed: “Angry” and “Sweet Sounds of Heaven.” The latter track features Stevie Wonder and Lady Gaga. Both tracks are below.
“Angry”
“Sweet Sounds of Heaven”
Rolling Stones – Hackney Diamonds – Track List
Angry
Get Close
Depending On You
Bite My Head Off
Whole Wide World
Dreamy Skies
Mess It Up
Live By the Sword
Driving Me Too Hard
Tell Me Straight
Sweet Sounds of Heaven
Rolling Stone Blues
Mick Jagger: 10 Iconic Performances from Rock's Best Frontman
Mick Jagger has spent most of his life entertaining the masses. Since 1962, he’s fronted the Rolling Stones. For over 60 years, he has inspired countless performers. For most of that time, he’s been the gold standard for fronting a band. Imitators have come and gone for decades, but they’ve proved one thing: There’s only one Mick Jagger.
Remarkably, he’s still going strong. In honor of his birthday today (July 26), we take a look at ten iconic performances from Jagger’s career.
But First, A Look At What’s New With Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones
In October 2023, the Rolling Stones released Hackney Diamonds. It was the band’s first studio album of original material since 2005’s A Bigger Bang. The Stones announced the album in a press conference in September 2023 hosted by Jimmy Fallon.
During the press conference, Mick Jagger said of the album, “We wouldn’t be putting this out now if we didn’t really like it. We didn’t want to make just any record and put it out. So we wanted to make a record.”
Jagger added, “Before we went in, we said we all want to make a record that we really love, ourselves. People may like it, other people may not. But we must say this, we are quite pleased with it. … We hope you’ll like it.”
The Rolling Stones returned to the road in April 2024 in support of Hackney Diamonds. The tour saw the band make their way through some of the biggest stadiums in the United States, from MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to Soldier Field in Chicago.
The Stones weren’t alone on the trek; they had a diverse slate of opening acts on their 19-date tour. Those acts included Gary Clark Jr., Carin Leon, Electric Mud, The Pretty Reckless, Joe Bonamassa, Lawrence, The Red Clay Strays, Tyler Childers, Ghost Hounds, KALEO, Widespread Panic, Bettye LaVette, Lainey Wilson, The War and Treaty, The Linda Lindas and Beaches.
Of course, even though they were on tour, that doesn’t mean a wild backstage atmosphere. While they’re incredible legends, they’ve apparently mellowed in recent years, especially when it comes to their tour rider.
Bassist Darryl Jones touched on this with the U.K.’s Daily Star (via BANG Showbiz). Years ago, the Stones required a gaming room with a snooker table and various video game cabinets. However, the band has scaled back their backstage setup quite a bit, but Jones said the important things are still there.
“Keith [Richards] still has what he loves, shepherd’s pie,” said Jones. “There’s so much food backstage, me and the keyboard player have our own rider.”
Erica Banas is a news blogger who's been covering the rock/classic rock world since 2014. The coolest event she's ever covered in person was the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Sir Paul McCartney inducting Foo Fighters? C'mon now!) She's also well-versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice. #TransRightsAreHumanRights