23 August, 1946 – 7 September, 1978
Tomorrow (7th Sept) marks the 31st anniversary of the untimely death of arguably the greatest drummer of all time. Keith John Moon was the English Drummer of the rock group The WHO. He gained notoriety for exuberant drumming and his destructive lifestyle that earned him the nickname, "Moon the Loon." Moon joined The Who in 1964, replacing Doug Sandom. He played on all albums and singles from their debut, 1965's My Generation to 1978's Who are You?, which was released two weeks before his death.
Moon was known for innovative, dramatic drumming, often avoiding basic back beats for a more fluid technique focused on fast, cascading rolls across the toms and cymbal crashes.
According to legend he never actually had a drum lesson which probably gave him the freedom to become the innovative and dramatic drummer he was. He would often play as if he was the lead on many of the Who's tracks.
Early in The Who's career, live sets culminated in 'Auto Destruction'. Moon showed a zeal for this, kicking and smashing his drums. For a performance on the Smother Brothers television show, he had explosives loaded into one of his kit's two bass drums. During the finale of 'My Generation,' he kicked the other drum off the riser and then set off the charge, singeing Townshend's hair and embedding a piece of cymbal in his own arm (the blast has been speculated as starting Townshend's tinnitus.
Roger Daltrey said Moon's drumming style held the band together; that Entwistle and Townshend "were like knitting needles... and Keith was the ball of wool." Quite a quote considering some thought his style was erratic at best.
On the evening of 6th September 1978, after dining with Paul and Linda McCartney he returned to a flat on loan from Harry Nilsson (the same flat in which Mama Cass Elliot had died 4 years earlier). It is said that he then took a number of tablets of Heminevrin which was a seditive he had been prescribed to alleviate his alcohol withdrawal. Keith overdosed and was found by his girlfriend Annette Walter-Lax on the morning of 7th September.
He died a couple of weeks after the release of Who Are You. On the album cover, Moon is seated on a chair back-to-front to hide the weight gained over three years (as discussed in Tony Fletcher's book "Dear Boy"). The chair is labeled "NOT TO BE TAKEN AWAY."
Moon was cremated. His ashes were scattered in the Gardens of Remembrance at Golders Green Crematorium in London 1978.
Whatever your opinion on Keith Moon, no-one can deny that his worth to one of the greatest and most successful groups of all time was immense. Take a listen to any Who track today and you'll what we mean.
Keith John Moon. Our greatest drummer of all time.
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