During an interview with Apple Music, Keith Richards commented on the death of drummer Charlie Watts , saying that the musician was the pillar that held the Rolling Stones . The drummer passed away on August 24th at the age of 80 after a battle with cancer.
The guitarist revealed that "the last thing he wanted was a tour without Charlie ," mentioning that Watts was already preparing to retire from the stage on the advice of doctors.
Richards also commented on Charlie's replacement by Steve Jordan , the drummer who played with the guitarist in the side project X-Pensive Winos.
“For a band with our longevity, suddenly having another guy on drums is a leap into the dark. But you know, Charlie said, 'Look, stick with Steve.' Charlie Watts was our rock. You take Charlie away, everything falls apart, and being able to face that transition and also feel Charlie's presence in a way through Steve... Steve loved Charlie too much and they were good friends. So, it's almost like a natural transition that we all have to face when we go on stage every night. So far, so good. Great energy, great fun.”