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North London council reveal bronze bust of Rolling Stones drummer after death

A statue of The Rolling Stones’ drummer Charlie Watts is looking for a permanent home after being unveiled in a ceremony at his former local council. Brent Council revealed the bronze bust of Watts, who died in August 2021, at the civic centre on Friday last week.

The Stones’ drummer – who was known as the Wembley Whammer – grew up on an estate not far from the new town hall where he would sit in his front garden practising on his drum kit. It is not yet clear where the bust, which was created by artist Sissy Piana, is going to end up, with the council noting “discussions are underway” regarding where to put it.

The Mayor of Brent, Cllr Abdi Aden, said: “We are delighted to be entrusted with this wonderful sculpture that pays homage to iconic drummer Charlie Watts. Rolling Stones fans across the world have worked tirelessly to pay their respects and we at Brent Council are pleased to play our part in honouring his legacy.”

Described as “the subtle heartbeat” of the band, Watts died last year aged 80. Upon his death, tributes poured in from across the musical world. Sir Elton John described him as “the ultimate drummer” and “the most stylish of men”, while Sir Paul McCartney said he was “a lovely guy” who was “steady as a rock”.

Watts played at the old Wembley Stadium on 12 occasions between 1982 and 1999 with The Rolling Stones. Doug Potash, who runs a Rolling Stones fan site, said he and his fellow members wanted to honour Watts’ legacy given his contributions to music.

He said: “With Charlie Watts gone, many of our members wanted to find a way that we could honour him. I was approached by Richard Jozefiak with an idea; he had contacted sculptor Sissy Piana about creating a bronze bust of Charlie and proposed that we raise the funds and find the proper place for it to be displayed.

“When I announced this, donations immediately poured in and everyone was thrilled that they were part of having this bust of the Wembley Whammer created and given a place for it to be honoured thanks to the Brent Council.”

Photo: Brent Council
Source: msn.com
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