In a recent interview with American Songwriter, Nils Lofgren discussed the death of The Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts. Lofgren was asked about the song ‘Won’t Cry No More,’ which he composed for the drummer, while discussing his latest album, Mountains. The musician recalled Watts’ death and shared: “That was heartbreaking. I was hoping Charlie Watts would stay a little longer. It’s funny and sad, but Tom didn’t have a Phoenix date on his last Tom Petty tour, so we rewarded ourselves and went to Red Rocks in Colorado to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – a top band for me and Amy [Aiello Lofgren]. It never occurred to us that this would be the final time we saw him.” The musician was taken aback by the deaths of both Watts and Petty. He went on to say: “We were cursing loudly in the house for weeks after Tom died.” Charlie is in the same boat. I just wasn’t expecting it.” Lofgren identified a few musicians who affected him: “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the Beatles, Stones, and Hendrix.” There are other components to this, but these are the most important.
” He then explained briefly how he came up with the song and conveyed his frustration: “So I started writing this one riff and saying, ‘Won’t cry no more,’ and of course, I’m crying again later in the song.” It looked like a fury expression. Why do we keep losing individuals like this?” The guitarist published the song in June as a memorial homage to the late drummer, and he described it as being about ‘loss and perseverance.’ When Watts died, the rocker confessed that he turned to his music for connection and inspiration.,The album, which was released last month, features collaborations with many well-known artists, including Neil Young, Ringo Starr, and the late David Crosby. Listen to ‘Won’t Cry No More’ in the player below.
