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Unseen Letter Reveals Brian Jones's Plea to Charlie Watts
28 Oct
Summary
- Brian Jones wrote to Charlie Watts in 1962 asking him to join his band.
- The letter reveals Jones's frank assessment of their current drummer.
- The letter is estimated to fetch between $70,000 and $80,000 at auction.
A 1962 letter penned by Brian Jones to Charlie Watts, inviting the drummer to join his nascent band, is set to be auctioned later this year. This significant piece of rock history has remained with Watts's family for over sixty years and offers a rare glimpse into the Rolling Stones' formative period.
At the time, Watts was playing with Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated while working in advertising. Jones's letter details his band's ambition, stating they were "far better" than Korner's group and had a "very tightly-knit sound." He also offered a candid opinion of their then-drummer, calling him "atrocious."
Watts eventually joined the Rolling Stones in January 1963, after the recruitment efforts and the addition of bassist Bill Wyman. The band's determination to secure Watts was so great that Keith Richards recalled they had "starved ourselves to pay for him." The letter is estimated to fetch between $70,000 and $80,000 and will be on public view in December before the auction on December 15.
Charlie Watts remained the Rolling Stones' drummer for nearly six decades until his passing in August 2021, becoming an integral part of their legendary sound and enduring success.
