Charlie Watts drops out of Rolling Stones' upcoming U.S. tour

(Reuters) - Rolling Stones' drummer Charlie Watts might not be a part of the band's upcoming U.S. tour, which was postponed to this year because of the pandemic, as he is recovering from a medical procedure.

A statement from Watts' spokesman on Wednesday said that the drummer's doctors advised him to rest and recover from the medical procedure, which was successful. The statement did not say what the procedure was.

"For once my timing has been a little off," Watts said in the statement. "I am working hard to get fully fit but I have today accepted on the advice of the experts that this will take a while."

Watts and the rest of the band's members - Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood - are in their 70s. The band has played more than 40 tours, making the quartet one of the most enduring and successful rock acts of all time.

Steve Jordan, who is also a drummer and has worked with Richards solo projects, will take the stage for Watts.

A few weeks ago, the band announced rescheduled dates for its US tour, which will now kick off in September.

Jagger underwent heart valve replacement surgery in 2019 and was back on stage after two months when the Rolling Stones kicked off a delayed North American tour.

(Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru. Editing by Gerry Doyle)