Shirley Watts, Wife Of Late Rolling Stones Drummer Charlie Watts, Has Passed Away

Shirley Watts, wife of the late Rolling Stones drummer Charlie, has died.

Mrs. Watts' passing comes nearly two years after her husband's death at the age of 80. The duo had been married since 1964.

The couple's decades-spanning marriage could be considered a success story. The Watts' were parents of a daughter, Seraphina, and also had a granddaughter.

Watts' (née Shepherd) passing was announced via a statement from her family on Monday, December 19th.

"It is with great sadness that Seraphina, Charlotte and Barry announce the death of their much-loved mother, grandmother and mother-in-law Shirley Watts. Shirley died peacefully on December 16th in Devon after a short illness surrounded by her family. She will also be missed by her sisters Jackie, and Jill, and her brother Stephen. Reunited now and forever with her beloved Charlie," the statement reads per Variety.

Mr. Watts passed away on August 24th, 2021 following "an undisclosed medical procedure" which forced the longtime Rolling Stones drummer to stop touring with the group. Steve Jordan, longtime confidant of the Stones camp, stepped behind the kit to finish the remaining dates of the band's 50th-anniversary tour.

The demands of Watts' role as The Rolling Stones drummer never eclipsed the Watts' marriage.

Shirley was ready to publicly revoke her man's bachelor card in the early days of the band's success- even if some members of their camp believed it to be a bad PR move!

Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman revealed a glimpse into the band's dynamic in a new biography about Watts. In it, Wyman reveals Watts kept the status of his marriage quiet from the band.

"I emphatically deny that I am married," Mr. Watts told the press at the time. "It will do a great detail of harm to my career, if the story got around."

Watts' bride set the record straight, however!

"We have wanted to marry for about a year, but just didn't dare," Shirley revealed. "The months went on and we decided we could not live separately any longer. I'm terribly happy being Charlie's wife. It's just wonderful."

Wyman also reveals via Paul Sexton's new book "Charlie's Good Tonight," the pair were tight-lipped about their nuptials for just a little under a month!

"[So] then they kept it a secret for about three weeks, [then] the press released it. He still denied it for the first couple of days, and then he owned up and it was alright," Wyman recalled. (via Variety)

The notoriously private Mr. Watts was equally smitten with his wife!

According to People, he once reportedly told Vulture, "She is an incredible woman. The only regret is that I was never home enough. But she also says when I come off tour that I am a nightmare and tells me to go back out."

Chrissie Shrimpton, Mick Jagger's ex-girlfriend who had been present on tour with the band during their early days, told a biographer Watts "simply refused to get up or wash" if his wife were not present with him on the road. The band reportedly had a strict "no girls on tour" rule!

Watts once told Rolling Stone, "I've always wanted to be a drummer... as long as it's comfortable with my wife, I'll continue to do it."