Bill Wyman will reportedly reunite with The Rolling Stones on their upcoming studio album.
The Sun reports that Wyman joined the band at a Los Angeles recording studio at the invitation of Mick Jagger. The as-yet-unannounced album is a tribute to late Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, who died in August 2021 at the age of 80.
“Bill hasn’t seen the band together for years but always loved Charlie. This record’s really a tribute to Charlie, so he couldn’t say no,” a source told The Sun.
Wyman hasn’t appeared on Stones album since 1989’s Steel Wheels. He departed the band four years later in 1993. He later reunited on stage with Jagger, Watts, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood for their 50th anniversary tour in 2012.
The Rolling Stones’ new album will also feature drum parts recorded by Watts prior to his death, as well as contributions from surviving Beatles members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.
The Stones’ last album of new recordings was their 2016 blues covers album Blue & Lonesome. They haven’t released a full-length album containing all-original material since 2005’s A Bigger Bang.