After The Rolling Stones' drummer Charlie Watts sadly passed away yesterday, (Tuesday, 24th August), tributes have been flooding in to pay their respects to a member of one of the biggest and most iconic bands ever.

With an estimated 200 million record sales and countless hits to their name, The Stones are one of the biggest selling and longest running bands of all time, having entertained crowds for almost 60 years.

The blues and early rock pioneers were a crucial component of the 'British invasion' of America in the 1960s, which saw The Stones, as well as the likes of The Beatles and Led Zeppelin, reach huge fanbases on both sides of the Atlantic.

They went on to reach even greater heights in the 1970s with the releases of classic albums such as Exile on Main St and Sticky Fingers, and have maintained their success to this day, with the release of Blues & Lonesome in 2016 marking their twelfth UK number 1 album.

We may now recognise The Rolling Stones for the incredible successes they have achieved to this date, but did you know that the band, still relatively unknown compared to the dizzying heights they would go on to reach, played Leek Town Hall on Christmas Eve 1963?

The gig was held only one year after the band originally formed in 1962. At the time they were working hard to build up a following, and in June 1963 they released their first single, a cover version of Chuck Berry's "Come On", which hit number 21 in the UK singles charts.

1963 also saw the band play their first big UK concert tour as a supporting act for American stars including Bo Diddley, Little Richard and the Everly Brothers, which gave them the chance to hone their act on stage.

The Christmas Eve Leek gig saw the band on the verge of their early stardom, and on the same tour the band recorded their second single, "I Wanna Be Your Man", which was written by a certain John Lennon and Paul McCartney. I wonder what happened to those two? They had talent!

"I Wanna Be Your Man" reached number 12 in the charts, and on 1st January 1964, just eight days after playing in Leek, it became the first song ever performed on the BBC's Top of the Pops.

Thanks to John Crimes for giving us permission to use the photos in this article, which were taken by Geraldine Shuttleworth. Do you remember The Rolling Stones' gig in Leek back in the '60s? Did you even attend the concert? If so then please let us know your thoughts and memories in the comments on social media!