Friday, August 27, 2021

Don Everly & Charlie Watts Were Exceptionally Talented Guys

I’ve been a baseball fan since about 1960, and a music fan for just as long. My Mom used to sing along with the Everly Brothers on the radio. I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show, and not long after that, heard the Rolling Stones for the first time. Those things inspired me to become a guitar player. Don Everly died on August 21, 2021, and Charlie Watts, drummer for the Stones, died three days later. Don was 84, Charlie 80 - not unexpected for guys their age. But damn, it strikes me as profoundly sad. Those guys had a lot to do with my start as a musician.

I’ve played in various bands for more than forty years. Everly Brothers and Rolling Stones songs have long been part of my set lists. I played their music because they were great songs. Don and his brother Phil were exceptional performers, great singers, with memorable harmonies. I don’t have the greatest singing voice, and I’ve done better singing harmony over the years. Don and Phil were great teachers for such a skill. 

As a guitar player, my heroes have always been guys like Keith Richards. He was one of Charlie Watts’ band mates for most of his life, and another great ‘teacher’ for me. I spent many hours playing along with Keith, Charlie, and the Stones, learning rock and roll. Any guitar player will tell you how important it is to have a good, solid drummer. Charlie was one of the very best. I suppose the Stones would have become famous had they never met Charlie, but the fact is, he was a huge part of their success. 

Like I said, it’s not unusual for guys in their 80’s to pass on. But it sure is a damn shame when superior talents like Don Everly and Charlie Watts leave us. We still have the music they recorded, but the world is a sadder place today because we lost such exceptionally talented men.

Others will follow, of course. People get old and they die. Don and Charlie helped to teach me how to play rock and roll. As such, they played a big role in my musical life. I owe a debt of gratitude to guys like Don and Charlie.

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