Charlie Watts has not quit The Rolling Stones [ tickets ], contrary to a report that surfaced earlier this week on an Australian website, according to the band's longtime spokesperson.

Publicist Fran Curtis issued a statement yesterday saying the story that ran at Australian website Undercover was fabricated.

The Undercover story, which was attributed to "a source within the Stones inner-circle" said Watts would never record or tour with the band again. It went on to say the Stones were looking to hire New York session drummer Charlie Drayton, who has played on Keith Richards' solo projects, to replace Watts.

The 68-year-old drummer has traditionally been the band's most reluctant to tour, reportedly because he hates to leave his wife and Arabian horses at the couple's horse-breeding farm in Devonshire, England, according to a Reuters report.

The Rolling Stones, which Watts joined in 1963, last toured in the summer of 2007. The band's most recent release was 2005's "A Bigger Bang." No future touring or recording plans have been announced.