An attorney for a former worker for Abbott Laboratories on Tuesday argued in a federal trial that the pharmaceutical giant specifically targeted African American workers in a layoff that led to her firing — and that white men who ran the company were more comfortable with helping white men succeed at the company.
Jacinta “Jay” Downing, the former Midwest sales region manager for the North Shore company, was denied promotions and retaliated against even before the reshuffling that led to her ouster in 2015, her lawyer said in closing arguments in the case.
“It may be a serious and harsh allegation to make, but we are arguing that the realignment was a takedown of Blacks,” said attorney Linda Friedman. ” … It took down Jay Downing. You won’t find business reasons in these performance management decisions. It’s just unfounded.”
But attorneys for Abbott said those decisions were based on a detailed record from supervisors who had described Downing as insubordinate, argumentative and not responsive to constructive criticism.
“Downing knows these are serious accusations,” Abbott attorney James Hurst said. “It’s a pretty powerful damnation of their character … and she’s willing to do it to win large money sums for damages.”
Hurst and other attorneys argued Downing’s suit was a sham and that there was no retaliation on Abbott’s part for her claims of gender and race discrimination. Instead, they claim the 2015 reduction in force affected 20 managers at the company, whose races and genders varied. The layoffs, they said, were made because the business wasn’t performing well financially.
The realignment of regional sales territories redrew geography for managers across the country and was based on the guidance of an independent consulting firm. Downing’s territory was altered to add Texas and take away Michigan.
Abbott attorney Christa Cottrell denied that the realignment of territories was discriminatory, or resulted in a Black woman being given a bad territory that led to subpar performance, because the current Midwest sales manager has met 100 percent of company’s goals and hit her profit margin, too.
Friedman also argued that leadership at Abbott consisted of powerful white men who were more comfortable with supporting and even promoting other white men at the company, despite people of color outperforming them in sales.
Downing’s termination came at the behest of Mark Bridgman, the vice president of commercial operations at Abbott, Friedman noted.
“Abbott’s leadership team looked like this: All white men. This was Mr. Bridgman’s comfort zone,” Friedman said. “Mr. Bridgman decided that she [Downing] lacked ‘executive presence.'”
Executive presence, Friedman claimed, was code for racial discrimination.
Downing was Abbott’s manager of the year in 2013 before she received a partial achievement review from her supervisor at the time, Peter Farmakis.
“Peter Farmakis compiled a 12-point memo detailing what he called Ms. Downing’s facts of gross negligence, dishonesty, flawed personal relationships, unauthorized dealings with clients,” said Friedman. “This 12-point memo was chock full of lies, distortions, racial stereotypes.”
But the insubordination claim comes from what Abbott attorneys said was Downing’s tendency to authorize deals for clients that she didn’t have the power to do without consulting higher-ups.
“We were just making business decisions that she didn’t end up liking, which is why we’re in this courtroom,” Hurst said.
The jury will begin deliberating Wednesday morning.
Oftentimes we make plans for our lives, whether they be long-term or short-term plans, we usually have an idea in mind about how we would like things to go. We even envision certain people in those plans. But things don’t always work out as planned. We have to move beyond the plan and think about the goal. The goal is the result of the plan – the thing we hope to achieve.
We have no control over the plan because unforeseen things happen, but that doesn’t mean we won’t accomplish what we set out to do. We never plan for delays, detours, nor destruction; however, these things interrupt our plans quite often, but we have to keep going until we reach the goal. If you are late for dinner plans because of an accident that occurred while you were driving to the restaurant, you won’t cancel the reservation, you’ll find an alternate route that will get you there. The plan changed but the goal didn’t. Don’t turn around now because things are not going as planned. Keep going and reach the goal!
What:Celeb chef José Andrés’s iconic Spanish tapas spot lands in Chicago. Why:Any night that starts with fruity sangría and plates of garlicky gambas al ajillo and jamón ibérico is a party. Where:500 N. Clark St., River North Website
Photograph: Galdones Photography
2 Adalina
What:A sleek Italian newcomer with two lauded chefs: Soo Ahn (Band of Bohemia) on savory and Nicole Guini (Blackbird) on sweet Why:Nosh on a fried green tomato caprese and housemade pastas, then finish with the brown butter honey tart. Where:912 N. State St., Near North Side Website
Photograph: Anthony Tahlier
3 Verve Wine + Provisions
What:A lively, approachable wine shop and restaurant Why:Ryan Epp’s plates, such as a bavette steak with allium jus, are simplicity at their best. Where:2349 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park Website
Photograph: Bailey McGuire
4 Lardon
What:A café, bar, and charcuterie emporium from Chris Thompson Why:Find Aya pastries and Metropolis coffee in the a.m., and finocchiona and butter sandwiches later in the day. Where:2200 N. California Ave., Logan Square Website
Photograph: Charles Metcalf
5 L&M Parkside
What:A seasonally focused eatery across the street from sister market L&M Fine Foods Why:Expect the same gourmet sensibility, as in the cast-iron steak with cherry steak sauce. Where:2201 W. Montrose Ave., North Center Website
What:An outpost of the Oakland chain opens with single-origin coffees and Lula Cafe bites. Why:Order a New Orleans–style cold brew with a blueberry-rose galette. Where:313 W. Wolf Point Plz., River North Website
Photograph: Nick Gerber
7 Little Sandwich House
What:An all-day Bronzeville hangout with coffee and plenty of — what else? — sandwiches Why:Try the roasted red pepper and spinach sando with artichokes and Parm. Where:411 E. Oakwood Blvd. Website
Photograph: Jack Pontarelli
8 Listening Room
What:A music-forward eatery at the Exchange, part of a sprawling project from DMK Restaurants Why:Order Brian Huston’s dishes while vinyl spins on a state-of-the-art system. Where:224 S. Michigan Ave., Loop Website
Photograph: Felton Kizer
9 Juice @ 1340
What:A bar and booze shop from a trio of beverage vets Why:Try a pour of whatever somm Derrick Westbrook is excited about, then grab some cocktail mixers to take home. Where: 1340 W. Madison St., Near West Side Website
Photograph: Chuy Reyes
10 The Art of Chicken
What:After a fire closed it for four years, a Bucktown favorite rises from the ashes. Why:All the spiced, grilled chicken you know and love, now with Casa Humilde Cerveceria beers Where:2041 N. Western Ave. Website
A loach is caught near the confluence of the North Branch of the Chicago River and the North Shore Channel. A beaver swims around Northerly Island. A dead black bear is found near the Indiana Toll Road in Elkhart County.
o On Friday, George Watford messaged that a loach was caught near the former dam where the North Branch and the North Shore Channel meet at River Park. Watford, whom I had the good fortune to profile when he was 19 in 2008, said it was released because the angler didn’t realize it was a non-native.
Jason Duracka, the owner of Animal Island Pet Shop in Midlothian, agreed it was a loach, but he wasn’t sure what kind.
A loach caught at River Park near the confluence of the North Branch of the Chicago River and the North Shore Channel.Provided by George Watford
o Joe LaMonica was biking at Northerly Island last Wednesday when he thought he saw a beaver. So he stopped on the bridge over the lagoon, located it, then took video of it swimming.
”What a beautiful asset to our lakefront,” he emailed.
That’s the truth. Beavers have become a more common sight on the lakefront.
o A dead black bear ”in an advanced state of decomposition” was found near the Indiana Toll Road in Elkhart County last Wednesday, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. It’s the fifth black bear documented in modern Indiana and is a different one than the one seen rambling around southern Indiana earlier this year.
In memory
Capt. William ”Augie” Ralph of Fishfood Charters was one of the youngest people to get his captain’s license some 37 years ago at 18. Capt. Ralph died last week. His wife, Lori, texted that details of arrangements should be coming soon. They have had the Salmon Stop bait/tackle shop in Waukegan for decades.
Capt. William “Augie” Ralph, who passed away last week, printed out my license at the Salmon Stop bait/tackle shop in Waukegan this spring.Dale Bowman
Recast
Paula Kosin caught my forgetting the redesignation of Indiana Dunes National Park in my column Saturday. Andrew Morkes had it designated correctly in his book, ”Nature in Chicagoland.” Click here to read the review.
Jet this
A crackdown on the speeding, disrespectful users of personal watercraft downtown on the Chicago River would be nice.
Boundary waters
The Superior National Forest on Saturday announced a closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for at least seven days because of fire activity, extreme drought and limited resources. Click here for details on the closure.
Sturgeon
The full moon Monday traditionally is known as the Sturgeon Moon, according to ”The Old Farmer’s Almanac.” Click here for more on the sturgeon moon.
Stray cast
The health of a river is inversely related to the number of dams on it. The same goes for the intelligence level of a community and the percentage of lawns with ”Unmask Our Children” signs.
Mick Jagger calls and wakes up Charlie Watts in the middle of the night, “Where’s my drummer?” Twenty minutes, Watts enters the hotel room where Jagger and Keith Richards are staying. Charlie says to Mick, “Never call me your drummer again. You’re my fucking singer!” Oh yeah, Charlie also punched Mick in the face. Oh yeah, he also got impecibly dressed in a suit before punching out Mick.
Charles Robert Watts: June 2, 1941-August 24, 2021.
When Charlie Watts first met what was to become the Rolling Stones, he was a jazz drummer. He knew little and had little interest in rock and roll or the blues. Keith Richards taught him about Elvis Presley and Muddy Waters.
Richards, Jagger and the rest were having a difficult time finding a permanent drummer. They wanted Charlie Watts but weren’t making enough money to pay what he was already making. The band took cuts in pay to afford him. Watts was worried that the band wouldn’t last. The shelf life of bands in England was usually a couple of weeks. None of the principles in the Rolling Stones would have guessed that this was a relationship that would last six decades.
Yesterday was filled with tributes to the Rolling Stones drummer. Former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, The Who’s guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend and E-Stree Band drummer Max Weinberg were among the many praising Watts. What you heard over and over again was Watts was not only a magnificent musician but a also sweet and gentle soul.
This was a man who was married to his wife Shirley for fifty-seven years. They had one daughter, Seraphina, who is fifty-three years old and one granddaughter, Charlotte, now age twenty-five. They lived on a farm where they raised and bred horses. He collected vintage cars, even though he didn’t know how to drive. He just liked to sit in them.
Charlie Watts was not a guy who lived the rock and roll lifestyle. You certainly would never guess that he would have meshed with men like Jagger, Richards and Ronnie Wood, who have been known to push life to edge and beyond. And yet, when you heard them play, whether it was on a record or live, they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. But now one of their pieces is missing. You have to wonder will they go on? Can they go on?
This isn’t the first time a member of the Stones family has either left the band by choice or died. Founding member Brian Jones left or was kicked out of the band in June of 1969. He died a month later. His replacement, guitarist Mick Taylor stayed for a few years before leaving in 1974. Keyboardist Ian Stewart died in 1985. Bassist Bill Wyman had enough in 1993. Saxophone legend Bobby Keys died in 2014. The Stones found replacements for all of them without missing a beat. However, none of them were Charlie Watts.
The Rolling Stones are scheduled to start their next tour on September 26, in St. Louis. Charlie Watts had planned to sit out the thirteen stop run while he recovered from a recent surgery. It was going to be the first time the band had toured without Watts on drums. Steve Jordan, who has played with dozens of famous artists, is scheduled to fill in on the tour. But, it’s a lot different playing thirteen shows over a few months than becoming a permanent member of the Rolling Stones.
There have to be plenty of musicians who would love to play with Mick, Keith and Ronnie. But, who is the one that fills that missing puzzle piece? It’s not going to be easy. Remember when The Who’s Keith Moon died. They tried to replace him Kenney Jones of the Faces? They never meshed. When John Bonham of Led Zeppelin died, the band members knew they could never replace him and shut it down. Maybe the Stones lead threesome, who are all now in their mid to late seventies, sees this as a sign to call it a day.
It’s way too early for the band to make any decision on what the future will be. They’re grieving the loss of someone who was as closer to them than most family members. But whatever they decide, it will probably happen sooner than later.
So rest easy Charlie. Thanks for the almost sixty years of keeping the beat and keeping the sanity.
My so called friends think it’s time to edit this section. After four years, they may be right, but don’t tell them that. I’ll deny it until they die!
I can’t believe I’ve been writing this blog for four years.
It started as a health/wellness thing and over the years has morphed to include so many things that I don’t know how to describe it anymore.
I really thought this was going to be the final year of the blog but then Donald Trump came along. It looks like we’re good for four more years..God help us all!
Oh yeah…the biographical stuff. I’m not 60 anymore. The rest you can read about in the blog.
Four people were shot Tuesday in Chicago, including a person who was in custody after a man was wounded in a shooting in the North Center.
The 25-year-old was driving north about 2 p.m. in the 4200 block of North Western Avenue when another vehicle pulled alongside his and someone from inside fired shots, Chicago police said.
He was shot in the arm and was taken to Swedish Covenant Hospital in good condition, police said.
Shortly after, officers placed a suspect into custody and allegedly recovered two weapons, police said.
There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Aries.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Today and tomorrow, the moon is in your sign. This happens for 2 1/2 days every month and when it occurs, your luck improves! However, you will be more emotional and have a stronger reaction to things. Ask the universe for a favor!
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Today and tomorrow, you’re happy to play things low-key and work behind the scenes, even though this is a playful, upbeat stimulating week for you. (In fact, this is an excellent time for a vacation.) Nevertheless, you need to catch your breath.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Despite your focus on home and family, today and tomorrow, you want to interact with friends and groups. In particular, you might have a meaningful conversation with a female acquaintance. Note: This is an excellent time to set goals.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Today and tomorrow, the moon will be sitting at the very top of your chart, which means people notice you more than usual. You will be high visibility In some cases, others will discuss or know personal details about your private life. (Kinda weird, I know.)
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Today and tomorrow, you will have a strong urge to “get away from all this.” Ideally, you will want to travel because you need a change of scenery. But what you really need is stimulation! You want a chance to see new places, meet new faces and learn new things. Ideas?
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Today and tomorrow, you will have a stronger focus on financial matters, especially anything related to shared property, inheritances, taxes and debt. This means you are likely to tidy up loose ends and make sure things go your way. Use this urge to your advantage.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Today and tomorrow, the moon will be in a sign that is exactly opposite from your sign, which means you will have to go more than halfway when dealing with others. (This is no big deal.) It simply means you have to be cooperative and ready to listen to what others have to say. (It’s still your call.)
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
It will please you to do something so that you feel you’re getting better organized today. In fact, today and tomorrow, not only do you want to get better organized, you also want to do something to improve your health and feel like you’re more in control of your world. “I’m on it!”
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Your desire to play and slip away on a vacation or enjoy a social outing will be stronger today and tomorrow. In particular, you will love sports activities as well as playful times with children. You will also enjoy expressing your creative talents in the arts or the entertainment world.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Despite your desire to travel and expand your world, today and tomorrow, you will be very happy to cocoon at home and relax among familiar surroundings. Basically, you need a breather or a chance to regroup in a private, quiet way. That’s just fine.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
You’re very eager to communicate to someone today — perhaps several people? In conversation with others, you want to establish a bond — a real connection. This is why you will avoid superficial chitchat that you view as meaningless. (“I don’t need this.”)
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
You have money on your mind today. And perhaps again, tomorrow. This is because for the next two days, the moon will be traveling through your Money House. (This might encourage emotional purchases instead of practical ones.)
If Your Birthday Is Today
Actress Blake Lively (1987) shares your birthday. You have a strong sense of character and leadership. You are warm, charming and have an analytical mind, which makes you an excellent teacher. You like to share your knowledge. When it comes to romance, you’re an idealist. This is a quieter year for you with a stronger focus on close relationships. Use some self-scrutiny to figure out what brings you happiness.
A murder suspect traveling from California on a Chicago-bound train was fatally shot in a shootout with Amtrak police on a platform at Union Station on Tuesday evening, officials said.
Amtrak police were waiting on the platform around 5 p.m. for the train, having been notified by authorities in California that an individual on the train heading for Chicago had multiple pending warrants, including one for murder, Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said at a news conference at the station Tuesday night.
When the man saw the uniformed officers on the platform, he took off running, injuring an Amtrak employee and then opening fire on the officers, Magliari said.
“He’s running towards us, he’s running towards us, duck, cover,” an officer radioed.
One of the Amtrak officers returned fire and struck the man, Magliari said. The man was taken to a “local hospital,” Magliari said. The Amtrak employee suffered minor injuries, and an officer also was taken to the hospital for evaluation, he said.
Magliari could not say whether officers had cleared the platform before the train pulled up. Several witnesses who had been waiting for their trains in the waiting area adjacent to the platforms said they rushed out of the station to the street after seeing other bystanders and Amtrak employees running from the platforms, shouting “active shooter” and “get out.”
About 5:30 p.m., paramedics responded to a call of a man who was shot at Union Station, 225 S. Canal St., according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt.
The man was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in traumatic arrest, Merritt said. He later died from a gunshot wound to the chest, Chicago police said.
A weapon was recovered at the scene, police said.
Amtrak and the Chicago Police Department are investigating the incident jointly.
Another man was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was in good condition with lacerations to the face, police said. Two other men, with unknown injuries, were also transported to Rush University Medical Center, where they were stabilized.
Train traffic was temporarily halted because of “ongoing police activity” but has resumed moving with residual delays as of 6:30 p.m., according to an Amtrak Alerts Twitter account.
No other details from authorities were immediately available.
Train passenger Alicia Gainey said she had been waiting for a train to Elkhart, Ind., when she heard people running inside the station shouting.
As she queued up to board her train about an hour after the shooting, Gainey, said she was tired of gun violence.
“It’s crazy. This happens everywhere, all the time,” she said.
Stephanie Bommarito, of Rochester Hills, Michigan, was in the restroom when she got a string of harried texts from her husband, Philip.
“It was awful,” she said. “(The texts said) ‘Get out … active shooter,’ and I’m trying to get out of the stall,” said Bommarito, whose husband had left the train station with their two children, Mia, 9, and Leo, 7.
She said people still were walking casually into the station as she rushed out the doors, and heard nothing on the public address warning that there had been a shooting inside. She met her family on the street, and they waited outside for an all-clear announcement, and wound up missing their 5:50 p.m. train to Detroit.
“I was just worried about my kids and what kind of trauma they might be experiencing,” Stephanie Bommarito said of the harrowing final hours of a family trip to the city. “My daughter said ‘This would be a good thing to bring up at show-and-tell,’ and I said, ‘I don’t think the fourth grade needs to hear about this. Show them your I Love Chicago key chain.'”
Check back for more updates on this breaking news story.
A man traveling from California on a Chicago-bound Amtrak train was shot and wounded Tuesday evening at Union Station, fire officials said.
Amtrak police were notified by authorities in California that an individual on the train heading for Chicago had multiple pending warrants, including one for murder, Amtrak spokesman Marc Maggliari said in Chicago on Tuesday.
When the train arrived, Amtrak police were waiting in uniform on the platform for the man, Maggliari said. The man ran, injuring an employee, then opened fire on Amtrak officers, according to Maggliari.
Amtrak police turned, fired and struck the man, Maggliari said.
About 5:30 p.m., paramedics responded to a call of a man who was shot at Union Station, 225 S. Canal St., according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt.
The man was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in traumatic arrest, Merritt said. His condition was not immediately known, Maggliari said.
The Chicago Police Department is investigating.
Another man was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was stabilized with unknown injuries, Merritt said. Two other men, with unknown injuries, were also transported to Rush University Medical Center, where they were stabilized.
Train traffic was temporarily halted because of “ongoing police activity” but has resumed moving with residual delays as of 6:30 p.m., according to an Amtrak Alerts Twitter account.
No other details from authorities were immediately available.
Train passenger Alicia Gainey said she heard people running inside the station shouting, “‘Get out. There’s an active shooter.'”
Gainey, who was boarding a train to Elkhart, Indiana, after the incident Tuesday, described the atmosphere shortly after the disturbance: “Everybody is scared.”
Stephanie Bommarito, of Rochester Hills, Michigan, was in the restroom when she got a string of harried texts from her husband, Philip.
“It was awful,” she said. ” ‘Get out … active shooter,’ and I’m trying to get out of the stall,” said Bommarito, whose husband had left the train station with their two children, Mia, 9, and Leo, 7.
She met her family on the street, and they waited outside, missing their 5:50 p.m. train to Detroit.
“I was just worried about my kids and what kind of trauma they might be experiencing,” Stephanie Bommarito said.
Check back for more updates on this breaking news story.
LONDON — Charlie Watts, the self-effacing and unshakeable Rolling Stones drummer who helped anchor one of rock’s greatest rhythm sections and used his “day job” to support his enduring love of jazz, has died, according to his publicist. He was 80.
Bernard Doherty said Tuesday that Watts “passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family.”
“Charlie was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also as a member of The Rolling Stones one of the greatest drummers of his generation,” Doherty said.
In 2004, Watts was diagnosed with throat cancer and underwent successful treatment and remained in remission. He resumed touring with the Stones as well as solo projects.
In an interview with “the Mirror in 2012, he said of the diagnosis: “I thought I was going to die when they told me I had it, which is what most people go through. You think, ‘Ah well, that’s it.’ I didn’t know how to deal with it. The lowest point was the moment he told me I had cancer.”
He also spoke of the Stones’ success, saying: “I knew there was something special very early on. Most bands start very enthusiastically and gradually audiences drop off. This lot was totally different. We were never unpopular, the band’s audience grew and grew and that is the phenomenon really.
Ronnie Wood (from left), Charlie Watts and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones perform on July 15, 2019, in New Orleans.Amy Harris/Invision/AP
The quiet, elegantly dressed Watts was often ranked with Keith Moon, Ginger Baker and a handful of others as a premier rock drummer, respected worldwide for his muscular, swinging style as the band rose from its scruffy beginnings to international superstardom. He joined the Stones early in 1963 and remained over the next 60 years, ranked just behind Mick Jagger and Keith Richards as the group’s longest lasting and most essential member.
Watts stayed on, and largely held himself apart, through the drug abuse, creative clashes and ego wars that helped kill founding member Brian Jones, drove bassist Bill Wyman and Jones’ replacement Mick Taylor to quit and otherwise made being in the Stones the most exhausting of jobs.
A classic Stones song like “Brown Sugar” and “Start Me Up” often began with a hard guitar riff from Richards, with Watts following closely behind, and Wyman, as the bassist liked to say, “fattening the sound.” Watts’ speed, power and time keeping were never better showcased than during the concert documentary, “Shine a Light,” when director Martin Scorsese filmed “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” from where he drummed toward the back of the stage.
The Stones began, Watts said, “as white blokes from England playing Black American music” but quickly evolved their own distinctive sound. Watts was a jazz drummer in his early years and never lost his affinity for the music he first loved, heading his own jazz band and taking on numerous other side projects.
He had his eccentricities — Watts liked to collect cars even though he didn’t drive and would simply sit in them in his garage. But he was a steadying influence on stage and off as the Stones defied all expectations by rocking well into their 70s, decades longer than their old rivals the Beatles.
Watts didn’t care for flashy solos or attention of any kind, but with Wyman and Richards forged some of rock’s deepest grooves on “Honky Tonk Women,” “Brown Sugar” and other songs. The drummer adapted well to everything from the disco of “Miss You” to the jazzy “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” and the dreamy ballad “Moonlight Mile.”
Jagger and Richards at times seemed to agree on little else besides their admiration of Watts, both as a man and a musician. Richards called Watts “the key” and often joked that their affinity was so strong that on stage he’d sometimes try to rattle Watts by suddenly changing the beat — only to have Watts change it right back.
Jagger and Richards could only envy his indifference to stardom and relative contentment in his private life, when he was as happy tending to the horses on his estate in rural Devon, England, as he ever was on stage at a sold-out stadium.
Watts did on occasion have an impact beyond drumming. He worked with Jagger on the ever more spectacular stage designs for the group’s tours. He also provided illustrations for the back cover of the acclaimed 1967 album “Between the Buttons” and inadvertently gave the record its title. When he asked Stones manager Andrew Oldham what the album would be called, Oldham responded “Between the buttons,” meaning undecided. Watts thought that “Between the Buttons” was the actual name and included it in his artwork.
To the world, he was a rock star. But Watts often said that the actual experience was draining and unpleasant, and even frightening. “Girls chasing you down the street, screaming…horrible!… I hated it,” he told The Guardian newspaper in an interview. In another interview, he described the drumming life as a “cross between being an athlete and a total nervous wreck.”
Author Philip Norman, who has written extensively about the Rolling Stones, said Watts lived “in constant hope of being allowed to catch the next plane home.” On tour, he made a point of drawing each hotel room he stayed in, a way of marking time until he could return to his family. He said little about playing the same songs for more than 40 years as the Stones recycled their classics. But he did branch out far beyond “Satisfaction” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” by assembling and performing with jazz bands in the second half of his career.
Charles Robert Watts, son of a lorry driver and a housewife, was born in Neasden, London, on June 2, 1941. From childhood, he was passionate about music — jazz in particular. He fell in love with the drums after hearing Chico Hamilton and taught himself to play by listening to records by Johnny Dodds, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington and other jazz giants.
He worked for a London advertising firm after he attended Harrow Art College and played drums in his spare time. London was home to a blues and jazz revival in the early 1960s, with Jagger, Richards and Eric Clapton among the future superstars getting their start. Watts’ career took off after he played with Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, for whom Jagger also performed, and was encouraged by Korner to join the Stones.
Watts wasn’t a rock music fan at first and remembered being guided by Richards and Brian Jones as he absorbed blues and rock records, notably the music of bluesman Jimmy Reed. He said the band could trace its roots to a brief period when he had lost his job and shared an apartment with Jagger and Richards because he could live there rent-free.
“Keith Richards taught me rock and roll,” Watts said. “We’d have nothing to do all day and we’d play these records over and over again. I learned to love Muddy Waters. Keith turned me on to how good Elvis Presley was, and I’d always hated Elvis up ’til then.”
Watts was the final man to join the Stones; the band had searched for months to find a permanent drummer and feared Watts was too accomplished for them. Richards would recall the band wanting him so badly to join that members cut down on expenses so they could afford to pay Watts a proper salary. Watts said he believed at first the band would be lucky to last a year.
“Every band I’d ever been in had lasted a week,” he said. “I always thought the Stones would last a week, then a fortnight, and then suddenly, it’s 30 years.”
Former Associated Press Writers Greg Katz and Janelle Stecklein compiled biographical material for this story.
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