Charlie Watts, the English Gentleman And Family Man And His Wife Shirley

The passing of Charlie Watts comes 57 years after his marriage to Shirley Ann Shepherd in 1964.

Unlike the glamour and headlines grabbed by the Jagger and Richards relationships, the Charlie and Shirley Watts marriage stayed out of the tabloids.

“I was with Alexis Korner and she came to the very, very first rehearsal [1961] that I had with him,” Charlie once told The Mirror. “That’s how I met her.”

Shirley ran the family farm in Devonshire. They raised Arabian horses on their 600-acre stud farm. “She is an incredible woman,” he added. “The one regret I have of this life is that I was never home enough. But she always says when I come off tour that I am a nightmare and tells me to go back out”.

Charlie and Shirley had one daughter Seraphina and one granddaughter Charlotte. Charlie managed to guard the privacy of his family so Seraphina was protected from the media while growing up.

Charlotte is now a model working for brands such as Topshop, Christopher Kane, Bimba y Lola and Rag & Bone.

While Mick Jagger was the Knight, Charlie was the Knight in shining armour. He dressed like British aristocrat. “I have about 200 suits in London and a few in Devon. I have a very traditional mode of dress … old English. I go to all the shops, wherever I am, but nothing fits me ’cause I’m too small,” he was once quoted as saying.

The Rolling Stones announced the passing of Charlie today just weeks after he dropped off the upcoming Stones North American tour.