- A historic 1962 handwritten letter sent by Rolling Stones co-founder Brian Jones to Charlie Watts, attempting to recruit him to the fledgling rock group, is being auctioned by Watts's sister with an estimated value of $70,000 to $80,000.
- Postmarked 3 June 1962, the letter reveals Jones boasting about the band's developing sound, criticising their current drummer as "atrocious", and inviting Watts to leave Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated.
- Despite the eager pitch, Watts initially resisted the offer while balancing a day job in advertising, officially joining the Rolling Stones seven months later in January 1963.
- Watts served as the band's drummer for nearly six decades until his death at age 80 in August 2021, with Keith Richards recalling that the band members starved themselves early on just to afford him.
- The letter and its original envelope will be put on public display at Sotheby’s New York from 2 to 8 December, with online bidding running from 2 to 15 December ahead of its final sale.
IN FULL
