Happy Birthday Charlie Watts!

Charlie Watts turns 70 years old today.

With that, he is officially the oldest member of the Rolling Stones as Bill Wyman has not played with them in years (Wyman is 74).

He was born June 2nd, 1941 in London and would join the Stones in 1963.

Despite drumming for the world's greatest rock and roll band, Watts is really a jazz aficionado and has participated in numerous jazz side projects over the years.

Throughout all my concert adventures over the years, I've caught the Stones only once: in 1994 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis on the Voodoo Lounge (an outstanding album, btw) tour.

I was a DJ at a sports bar at the time and got the chance to rub shoulders with alot of movers and shakers. One night a few weeks after the show, a guy who claimed to be a chef at the downtown Dayton's restaurant relayed a story to me regarding Charlie.

The day before the show, Watts had entered the eatery all by himself in his quiet, unassuming Charlie-way. He sat down at a table and a young waitress approached him to take his order.

Immediately she recognizes him and basically begins to hyperventilate.

"Could I please see a menu?" Charlie asked calmly,

Waitress begins to shriek with excitement.

"A menu, please" he says, again calmly.

At this the point, the chick begins to drool, with it falling right onto the table in front of him.

Totally unfazed, Charlie again pleads.

"Miss, I would just like to see a menu!".

At this point, she becomes aware of the spit running down her chin. Horrified, she drops everything and bolts out of the room and into the kitchen.

If you've watched the Stones perform, you know Watts is the "quiet one": always sitting calmly with a placid expression.

And that's exactly what he did as the restaurant manager came dashing out of the kitchen, apologizing and begging for forgiveness in rapid fire fashion.

Still, calm and cool, hands folded, Charlie inquires "May I please see a menu?".

ZOOM! People come from everywhere with menus and new tablecloth's and water glasses and champagne flutes and bread baskets.

Charlie sighs, looks at the menu and orders a BLT.

Then he left quietly and the next night performed in front of 60,000 plus people.

I guess after 40 years or so of being a superstar those types of incidents become standard issue.

Not surprisingly, Watts has had the only stable family life of any of the Stones, having remained faithful to his girlfriend and then wife of over 40 years, Shirley, throughout the Stones' career.