Charlie Watts. the drummer who provided the backbeat for the Rolling Stones for nearly 60 years, has passed away at the age of 80.

The sad news was relayed on social media by the band today:

"It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts," read the statement from an unnamed spokesman on the Stones' Facebook page. "He passed away peacefully in a London hospital early 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.

We kindly request that the privacy of his family, band members, and close friends is respected at this difficult time."

Watts joined the Stones in 1963 and, along with singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, has performed on every Rolling Stones studio album.

Heavily influenced by jazz music, Watts is best known for his swinging, rock-solid drumming, as heard on tunes like "Shattered" and "When the Whip Comes Down", both of which were featured on the band's multiplatinum Some Girls album of 1978.

"When we got Charlie, that really made it for us," Richards is quoted in saying in a 2016 Rolling Stone article that ranked Watts at #12--two spots ahead of Ringo Starr--on its list of the 100 Greatest Drummers Of All Time.

While not one to play up the wild rock-star image as much as the Glimmer Twins, the normally reserved Watts did draw attention to himself on occasion.

One famous anecdote recalls the time when a drunken Jagger phoned Watts's hotel room in the middle of the night, asking "Where's my drummer?"

As the story goes, Watts got out of bed, shaved, dressed in a suit and tie, walked out of the room, and punched Jagger in the face, saying: "Don't ever call me your drummer again. You're my fucking singer!"

Charlie Watts is survived by his wife Shirley, daughter Seraphina, sister Linda, and granddaughter Charlotte.