Cancer Type – Throat
Bio – Charlie Watts the drummer for the Rolling Stones may be glad he quit smoking when he did.
Short Story – The laid-back drummer was an excessive smoker until quitting in the late 1980s, yet this habit almost cost him his life. Diagnosed in 2004 with lung cancer, Charlie Watts went through six weeks of chemotherapy to cure his cancer.
People who smoke or otherwise use tobacco are at risk of developing tumors of the throat. Malignant tumors can harm the vocal cords, voice box (larynx), and other areas of the throat. Charlie was 63 when he was diagnosed. In the same year of his diagnosis, Mick Jagger released a statement to the United Kingdom’s Daily Mirror for Saturday’s editions, “Charlie has had all his treatments and he’s now been cleared and is free of any illness.”
Charlie Watts Throat Cancer Update
Short Story – Charlie was one of the founding members of the Rolling stones who smoked like a chimney until he finally gave it up in the ’80s which was a decision that saved his life. Charlie was actually trained as a graphic artist when he met Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards and the rest is history. Charlie Watts was one of the very fortunate ones going through weeks of treatment to cure his cancer.
Charlie had two surgeries to remove all cancer in his throat. The second was to take his lymph nodes out, and that was followed by six weeks of radiation. Charlie said he thought he was going to die when he got the diagnosis, “that’s what happens, you get cancer, waste away, and die.” Thankfully he did not die; in fact, to date, he has remained cancer-free.
Watts married his wife, Shirley Ann, in 1964, and they are still together, having raised a daughter.
Some of the charities and foundations that Charlie and his bandmates Rolling Stones support are Doctors without Borders, Make a Wish, Farm Aid, Save the Children. The causes they find worthy are Aids & HIV, Cancer, Animals, Economic/Business Support, Education, Human Rights, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse, just to name a few.
Cancer Horizons wishes to thank Charlie for his cancer research support and wish he and his wife the best.
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charles Robert Watts |
| Born | 2 June 1941 (age 75), Kingsbury, London, England |
| Genres | Rock, jazz, blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, producer |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active | 1959–present |
| Labels | Decca, Rolling Stones, Virgin |
| Associated acts | Blues Incorporated, The Rolling Stones, The Charlie Watts Tentet |
| Notable instruments | |
| Gretsch Drums | |
Image Credits – By Siebbi (Charlie Watts) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
