The Charlie Watts leave story unveiled is about The Rolling Stones drummer on the verge of quitting the band prior to their 50th anniversary show in 2012.

The veteran rockers, who returned to the stage last year for the first time in five years, played a number of gigs in London and the U.S. to mark their half-a-century presence in the music business. The legendary group is heading back out on the road this year for a North American tour and several shows in the U.K., however Watts admits that he was considering retirement from The Rolling Stones before they got back on stage at London’s O2 Arena last November.

In an interview with Britain’s The Guardian, Watts, 71, was given the question whether he had ever wanted to quit. His response, “I thought that before the O2, but it was actually very comfortable to do. It was good fun, is what I meant to say... (Did I have) misgivings? Yeah, oh yeah, I always do. It's a young person's (game). The thing I find difficult is that 50 per cent of it (the job) is image, not my side of it, but it is, and as you get a bit older you think, 'Oh gawd!' (sic) I don't like looking at the pictures. I think (David) Bowie looks all right... Some others haven't weathered so well... You do now seriously have to look at your age, because if this goes on for another two years, I'll be 73."

In the interview, the drummer insisted that his band mates, Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were the ones urging the group towards a reunion, he added “You wouldn't do it if Mick didn't want to do it. You've got to have Mick and Keith, but the driving force is Mick. If he's enthusiastic, he'll push everyone along. Keith's much more laidback about it."

The Rolling Stones formed in London in 1962. The first line-up was Brian Jones on guitar and harmonica, Ian Stewart on Piano, and Mick Jagger on lead vocals and harmonica. Keith Richards is on guitars and back-up vocals and Bill Wyman was on bass with Charlie Watts on drums. Their great success as a band has led them to sell an estimated more than 200 million albums worldwide. They were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and was listed by Rolling Stone magazine fourth on their list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.