How the Rolling Stones handled Charlie Watts’ death and found his replacement for the No Filter tour

The most striking thing is that Charlie Watts himself told the band what to do. When he pulled out of the No Filter tour in August 2021 due to health issues, he made a point of saying: “The show must go on — and if you can’t get me, get Steve Jordan.” So when Charlie died a month later, the Stones already had his blessing to keep playing with his longtime friend and occasional collaborator.

Steve Jordan had been a sideman for decades — he played with Keith Richards on the X-Pensive Winos albums and had drummed with the Stones at various sessions. He wasn’t some random fill-in. The band postponed the U.S. leg by a few weeks, then hit the road in September 2021. At the first show in St. Louis, they opened with a photo of Watts on the video screen and a minute of silence. Jordan played Watts’ exact kit setup and said he was just “keeping the seat warm.”

The tour went on, but the Stones made it clear Watts was irreplaceable. They never used the word “replacement” — Jordan was always presented as a temporary stand-in, and the band hasn’t officially announced a permanent drummer since. But Jordan’s still touring with them, and he’s played on their new material too. Charlie’s ghost is still the drummer of the Rolling Stones.