Shirley Watts and Charlie Watts' marriage explored as wife of Rolling Stones drummer dies aged 84

Shirley Watts, the spouse of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, passed away on December 16, 2022, following a brief illness. At the time of her death, she was 84 years old.

The news was disclosed in an official statement by Shirley's family members. They said that she died peacefully and was surrounded by her loved ones at the time of her death. The statement continued:

"She will be also sadly missed by her sisters Jackie and Jill, and her brother Stephen. Reunited now forever with her beloved Charlie."

Shirley gained recognition as the wife of Charlie Watts and worked as a sculptor for all these years.

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Shirley Watts and Charlie Watts were married for 57 years

Born in 1938, despite being a well-known personality, Shirley Watts never disclosed details about her childhood, career, parents, and educational background. The only information available is that she joined the Royal College of Art, where she studied sculpture.

This is where she met Charlie Watts in 1961.

Charlie Watts and Shirley Watts were married since 1963 (Image via Max Mumby/Getty Images)

They started dating and eventually tied the knot in 1963.

Musicians at the time were hesitant about revealing details about their romantic lives, for fear that it would disappoint their female fan following. Charlie was concerned about the same, and his wedding happened secretly at a pub.

While Charlie himself did not reveal at first that he was married, denying it despite the news being released by the press, he eventually admitted that he did indeed get married in secret.

Although Charlie's health issues were always a topic of discussion, Shirley also had to struggle with her alcohol addiction. However, she managed to recover by working as a sculptor. She also developed an interest in horses and eventually went on to become a well-known breeder.

Shirley Watts was arrested in 1971 on charges of attacking customs officials at the airport.

During a 2000 interview with The Guardian, Charlie described his wife as "funny and clever" and admired her work as a sculptor. In According to the Rolling Stones, he also mentioned that Shirley was a big fan of his band. He said:

"Shirley actually plays our records. I don't."

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Charlie Watts passed away on August 24, 2021

Charlie Watts was hospitalized in London and passed away on August 24, 2021, at the age of 80. Although he was suffering from throat cancer since 2004, and had a history of alcohol and drug addiction, it remains unknown if these problems played any role in his death.

Watts also had to remain absent from the band's US tour the same month he died as he had to undergo emergency surgery. The band released a statement, saying that he needed to rest. Charlie stated that the pandemic had an impact on the band's performance and he did not want to postpone any more events due to his health issues.

Charlie joined The Rolling Stones in 1963 as a drummer and played with the group until last year.