Pope Unveils New Charlie Watts Statue at Vatican

There is now a sculpture at the Vatican that honors Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts. It was unveiled by Pope Francis to observe Charlie’s Birthday. The Pope named Watts, the patron saint of Drummers and Percussionists.

Socrates, Plato, Watts

The clay sculpture was installed into the Vatican’s Hall of Busts. The Vatican Museums house some of the world’s most priceless treasures, 70,000 sculptures and paintings in all, spanning more than 3,000 years of antiquity. It’s the fourth most visited museum in the world and also one of the oldest. There are 54 galleries inside the museum, the most famous of which is the Sistine Chapel, the main attraction. Watts is the first drummer in the Hall, as most sculptures are of ancient scholars such as Socrates and Plato.

International Treasure

Pope Francis stated “I am honored to reveal this beautiful new statue. Charlie Watts was the drummer/heart and soul of The Rolling Stones for over 55 years. He was an International Treasure and beloved all over the world. As the Stones themselves admit – Charlie was the engine of The Stones.”

The Pope gushed, “I especially love his drumming on Honky Tonk Women and Charlie totally dominates the Stones’ second No. 1 single, which features one of the most unconventional drum structures ever employed in a Top 40 hit. Basically, Watts plays the same 4/4-beat-fill-4/4-beat-fill pattern throughout the song, guaranteeing you won’t be able to escape the noisy upstairs neighbors, no matter how hard you try. That he keeps it up for the entire three minutes without once breaking the beat is a testament to his timeless talent.”

Sorely Missed

Sadly, Charlie passed away on August 24, 2021. The World lost a great drummer and a true gentleman. Charlie was a prince among thieves and a lovely man. Charlie Watts kept the beat for the world’s greatest rock band for over 50 years and many consider him the greatest pocket drummer of all time. He is sorely missed.

The remaining Stones, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ron Wood were at the unveiling. The band agreed that they all miss Charlie so much and that there should be a statue for Charlie on every corner and in every club, music hall and venue.