At the age of 12, he had joined the Sea Cadet Corp and was given his first musical instrument, the bugle. According to Lewis, Moon was drunk by the time the band went onstage at Atwood Stadium. 1 on its list of "50 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Drummers",[171] and he was ranked No. He was fascinated with blowing up toilets with cherry bombs or dynamite, and destroying television sets. Other party guests, including Paul and Linda McCartney, David Frost and ex-Faces drummer Kenney Jones (whom unbeknown to everyone would take Moons place in The Who) all remember Keith being in good spirits and surprisingly sober. 1990. He was, they insist, trying to get better. "[76] During one of his few televised solo drum performances (for ABC's Wide World), Moon played a five-minute drum solo dressed as a cat on transparent acrylic drums filled with water and goldfish. [111] Marsh suggested that at this point Daltrey and Entwistle seriously considered firing Moon, but decided that doing so would make his life worse. 0 Votes. [16] Moon idolised the Beach Boys;[17] Roger Daltrey later said that given the opportunity, Moon would have left to play for the California band even at the peak of the Who's fame. [54], By 1970 Moon had begun to use timbales, gongs and timpani, and these were included in his setup for the rest of his career. [66] During the finale of "My Generation", he set off the charge. He also claimed that, while he had not personally seen a car in a swimming pool, he had seen a bill for damages and removal. Guitarist Pete Townshend was the first Who member to be told the news by the groups co-manager Jackie Curbishley. During a lunar eclipse, Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, blocking the sunlight falling on the Moon. At Moons funeral Daltrey told the mourners he still half-expected Keith to leap from the coffin, claiming it was all a joke. He was posthumously inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1982, becoming the second rock drummer to be chosen, and in 2011, Moon was voted the second-greatest drummer in history by a Rolling Stone readers' poll. Keith had been exceeding his prescribed dose of Heminevrin the same way he abused every other drug. Most would agree that the apartment was cursed, although Townshend assured his friend that lightning wouldnt strike the same place twice. How wrong he was. [58] At one point, Moon asked Premier to make a white kit with gold-plated fittings. He claims that, to ensure Harry listened to it, he told . Moon also played timpani on another track, a cover of Jerome Kern's "Ol' Man River". Stay up to date with in depth music reviews, exclusive interviews and widespread coverage of whats happening from your favourite music genre. Sandom had generally been the peacemaker as Daltrey and Townshend feuded between themselves, but because of Moon's temperament the group now had four members frequently in conflict. His work has appeared in The Times and The Daily Telegraph, and the magazines Q, Mojo, Classic Rock, Music Week and Prog. Of the thirty-two Heminevrin tablets he found in Moon's stomach, twenty-six were undissolved. She still remembered the last time they met. [126] Moon was occasionally violent towards Kim:[127] "if we went out after I had Mandy", she later said, "if someone talked to me, he'd lose it. It wasn't long after moving into Nilsson's apartment that Moon started his course with Hemievrin . Few drummers have been better at creating moments of tension and suspense than Keith Moon. "Thomas Jefferson survives." What Adams didn't know was that Jefferson had actually passed away several hours earlier. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon and Sun are on opposite sides of Earth. (Moons 21st birthday party at a Flint, Michigan Holiday Inn has gone down in history as a particularly egregious display of rock n roll machismo that included a car submerged in the swimming pool, food fights, a police standoff, and a $23,000 bill.) Fletcher considers the drumming on this album to be the best of Moon's career. It was less helpful for his cocaine habit. "[152], On 6 September, Moon and Walter-Lax were guests of Paul and Linda McCartney at a preview of a film, The Buddy Holly Story. [108] Moon passed out again during "Magic Bus", and was again removed from the stage. 3. Today. [77], In the 2007 documentary film Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who, Daltrey and Townshend reminisced about Moon's talent for dressing as (and embodying) a variety of characters. Andrew Neill and Matthew Kent estimated that his destruction of hotel toilets and plumbing cost as much as 300,000 ($500,000). [112], Entwistle has said that Moon and the Who reached their live peak in 197576. [113] By the time of the Who's invitation-only show at the Gaumont State Cinema on 15 December 1977 for The Kids are Alright, Moon was visibly overweight and had difficulty sustaining a solid performance. "[33] Contemporary critics questioned his ability to keep time, with biographer Tony Fletcher suggesting that the timing on Tommy was "all over the place." He is probably now best known for his big hit, 'Yesterday Man'. "Substitute," the band's follow-up, cracked the top . The untimely loss of Keith Moon, one of the world's most skilled drummers, still hits rock music fans hard every so often. [50], The drummer produced the violin solo on "Baba O'Riley". Mark Blake is the author of Pretend Youre In A War: The Who and the Sixties (opens in new tab). 1. He'd move his arms forward like a skier. [95] Around the same time he became a severe alcoholic, starting the day with drinks and changing from the "lovable boozer" he presented himself as to a "boorish drunk". They gave him a shower and an injection of cortisone, sending him back onstage after a thirty-minute delay. "[36] On 23 June 1977, he made a guest appearance at a Led Zeppelin concert in Los Angeles. Keith John Moon was an English drummer who played with the English rock band the Who. Back to late 1966 for an example of the band's youthful sound and a power-pop prototype from their second album, A Quick One. 4: 'Who Are You' (live at Ramport Studios in Battersea, 1978) Filmed at The Who's Ramport Studios in Battersea, south London, Moon's performance, with his headphones gaffer-taped to his . Includes automatic download of 24bit files in any or all formats of Your choice: WAV, FLAC, ALAC Keith Moon and daughter Amanda with some of his car collection. I went into a panic.. "[158][149] In November 1978, Faces drummer Kenney Jones joined the Who. Sisters Tammy Slaton Says She Was Speechless After Caleb Willinghams Proposal, CNNs Kasie Hunt Gives Birth to Second Baby in Bathroom After 13-Minute Sudden Labor, Pregnant Kaley Cuoco Shares Sweet Selfies with Tom Pelphrey, Waiting For Baby Girl. [133] Butler agrees; despite his relationship with Annette Walter-Lax, he believes that Kim was the only woman Moon loved. There was rumour that Keith was self-taught,. Keith Moon climbed over his drum kit on May 25, 1978, took a bow, shook hands with fans and then walked off stage - unaware it would be the last time he'd do any of it.. Daltrey said in an interview with Vulture . "[101], Once, a hotel manager called Moon in his room and asked him to lower the volume on his cassette recorder because it made "too much noise." I've got no real aspirations to be a great drummer. [15] He also enjoyed singing, with a particular interest in Motown. But it was too late. Keith Moon with the Who in 1970 - 74 was just a force of nature, and one I'm glad to have witnessed up close 3 times. en.wikipedia.org. The phrase "Dear Boy" became a catchphrase of Moon's when, influenced by Kit Lambert, he began affecting a pompous English accent. [165][166] Starkey had previously toured in 1994 with Roger Daltrey. Track Records-MCA released a Moon solo single in 1974, comprising cover versions of the Beach Boys' "Don't Worry, Baby" and "Teenage Idol". . Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! [73], Moon became involved in solo work when he moved to Los Angeles during the mid-1970s. Moon, on the other hand, is tucked away behind the drum set just outside the focus of Steins camerawork. "[78], Early in the Who's career, Moon got to know the Beatles. [92], He followed Moon when the drummer relocated to Los Angeles, but felt that the drug culture prevalent at the time was bad for Moon: "My job was to have eyes in the back of my head. On the album cover, he is straddling a chair to hide his weight gain; the words "Not to be taken away" are on the back of the chair. Article. See more. Demolished. . The UK's Heritage Foundation disagreed with the decision, presenting a plaque which was unveiled on 9 March 2009. His music teacher wrote that Moon "has great ability, but must guard against a tendency to show off. Moon suffered a number of setbacks during the 1970s, most notably the accidental death of chauffeur Neil Boland and the breakdown of his marriage. Moon was . [109], During the opening date of the band's March 1976 US tour at the Boston Garden, Moon passed out over his drum kit after two numbers and the show was rescheduled. Keith Moon, Melody Maker, September 1970[31], Moon's style of drumming was considered unique by his bandmates, although they sometimes found his unconventional playing frustrating; Entwistle noted that he tended to play faster or slower according to his mood. [161][162], Jones left the Who in 1988,[163] and drummer Simon Phillips (who praised Moon's ability to drum over the backing track of "Baba O'Riley") toured with the band the following year. Moon led a destructive lifestyle. [92] Butler quit in 1978, and later wrote of his experiences in a book entitled Full Moon: The Amazing Rock and Roll Life of Keith Moon. It was Professor Keith Simpson, as it was with Cass Elliot, who performed the post mortem. [61] Townshend later said, "A set of skins is about $300 [then 96] and after every show he'd just go bang, bang, bang and then kick the whole thing over. by 'My Generation' was a turning point for me because before that it was all the Charlie Watts and Ringo type of thing. The band stopped playing, and a group of roadies carried Moon offstage. Moons playing was erratic and unreliable, and he was made to pose Christine Keeler-style for the cover photograph so as to conceal a paunch. He was in a bad mood and they argued, but Annette cooked him some more lamb. Composer Gustav Mahler died in bed, conducting an imaginary orchestra. Although it only took 13 days to film, fellow cast member Howard Kaylan remembers Moon spending off-camera time at the Kensington Garden Hotel bar instead of sleeping. . He was an attention seeker and he had to have it. Keith Moon was more than just rock's greatest drummer, he was also its greatest character and wildest party animal. Moon, so far gone in his addictions, was out of practice could barely keep up with the band. The following year he released his only solo album, entitled Two Sides of the Moon. Keith Moon discussed his reckless lifestyle on 'Good Morning America' just a month before his death. "He had no idea how to be a father", Kim said. How Many Murdaugh Murder Documentaries Are There and Where Can You Watch Them? Unfortunately for Keith these ended up being his last words. We were trying to kill ourselves.". On September 6 Paul McCartney threw a party at the Covent Garden diner Peppermint Park to celebrate what would have been Buddy Hollys 42nd birthday. [96] David Puttnam recalled, "The drinking went from being a joke to being a problem. Recorded on August 14th, 1975. Gustav Mahler. But his snoring meant Annette retreated to the sofa, where she slept until 3:40pm. Afterwards I was sitting at the bar and Pete came over. To use social login you have to agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. [149], After moving in, Moon began a prescribed course of Heminevrin (clomethiazole, a sedative) to alleviate his alcohol withdrawal symptoms. After all, the corpse of Keith Moon, legendary drummer for the Who, is right there on the first page. He explained that the group had totally lost their way: "Harry Nilsson, Bobby Keyes, Keith Moon. When the audience demanded he do it again, Moon kicked over his drum kit. Perhaps he paused to register the publicity it . The WhoMaple Leaf GardensToronto, Ontario, CanadaOctober 21, 1976Audience Recording by JEMS01. [6] His art teacher said in a report: "Retarded artistically. [2], Moon's first serious relationship was with Kim Kerrigan, whom he started dating in January 1965 after she saw the Who play at Le Disque a Go! He played on all the band's albums and singles from their . in Bournemouth. "[158] The New Book of Rock Lists ranked Moon No. $37.74 8 Used from $13.97 9 New from $22.34. During some stages of a lunar eclipse, the Moon can appear reddish. (Moon was close with all the Beatles, especially John Lennon and Ringo Starr.) Moon grew up in Alperton, a suburb of Wembley, in Middlesex, United Kingdom, and took up the drums during the early 1960s.After playing with a local band, the Beachcombers, he joined the Who in . It was the concluding show on their tour. McCartney had acquired the rights to Hollys song publishing, and a biopic, The Buddy Holly Story, was premiering later that night. [104], Returning to the hotel, Moon started a food fight and soon cake began flying through the air. The Who's famous drummer ended his career as a musician and comedian when he lost his life on Sep. 7, 1978. He said: 'You come 'ere.' In 1972 the performance was released as a companion disc to Lennon and Ono's album Some Time in New York City. Keith Moon: Classic Images of the Iconic Drummer. Moon had been taking Heminevrin for some time. According to Fletcher, Moon's toilet pyrotechnics began in 1965 when he purchased a case of 500 cherry bombs. Bill Curbishley remembered that "he wouldn't walk into any room and just listen. He was noted for his unique style of playing and his eccentric, often self-destructive behaviour. to Moon as he tries to sneak into the studio. [134] She died in a car accident in Austin, Texas, on 2 August 2006. The last album that Moon recorded with The Who was Who Are You, but his worsening health slowed the process; he would often arrive to practice barely able to hold onto his drumsticks. For a short while, Daltrey's puch seemed to knock some sense into Moon. After clearing the plate, Moon took more Heminevrin and fell asleep again. Moons final performance with the band took place on May 25, 1978, just months before the musicians premature death at the age of 32. Close. TIL that drummer Keith Moon's last words were "If you don't like it, you can just fuck off!" as a response to his then girlfriend when she refused to cook him a steak and egg breakfast. After seeing Moon in the studio trying to overdub drums for The Kids Are Alright, he said, "After two or three hours, he got more and more sluggish, he could barely hold a drum stick. With a focus on news, media, and humor, we are a RARE voice in todays media landscape. A partial lunar eclipse happens when only part of Earth's shadow covers the Moon. Moon continued briefly and then stopped, shouting "Drum solos are boring! [53] In 1973 Premier's marketing manager, Eddie Haynes, began consulting Moon about specific requirements. It was just another night in the life of a successful rock star: a film premiere and a party. During the concert, Moon passed out on his drum kit during "Won't Get Fooled Again". Her parents, who were furious, met with the Moons to discuss their options, and she moved into the Moon family home in Wembley. He us the author of Pigs Might Fly: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd, Is This the Real Life: The Untold Story of Queen, Magnifico! Townshend disagreed, assuring him that "lightning wouldn't strike the same place twice". Moon lived a short and talented life that was fueled by famous friendships, alcoholism, and the drums. His band recently released their new album called . Moon was recognised for his drumming style, which emphasised tom-toms, cymbal crashes, and drum fills. [72] Rolling Stone's John Hoegel appreciated Entwistle's decision not to let Moon drum, saying that it distanced his album from the familiar sound of the Who. In the video for Wont Get Fooled Again (linked above), the triple split-screen details energetic displays by guitarist Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey at the mic, and bassist John Entwistle. NB Down: III. [116] Daltrey later denied threatening to fire him, but said that by this time Moon was out of control. The second concert was much cleaner, filmed on multiple cameras in front of a small audience. [167], The London 2012 Summer Olympic Committee contacted Curbishley about Moon performing at the games, 34 years after his death. A true rollercoaster career that would epitomise the folly of being a rock star, Moon has remained a tragic figure ever since. Not a man prone to public displays of emotion, Entwistle continued with the interview until asked when The Who plans for the future. And it was this version of Keith Moon that led to his untimely death on September 7 1978. 1. In the days leading up to his death, Moon cut back on the booze. Upon returning, he asked the manager to stay for a moment, as he wanted to explain something. "[173], Several rock drummers, including Neil Peart[174] have cited Moon as an influence. Keith Moon played his final tour date with the Who on Oct. 21, 1976, at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. After waking up, she ventured back into the bedroom, where she found Moon lying on his stomach with his left arm hanging over the side of the bed: I couldnt hear him breathing. "He'd play zig-zag. Keith Moon was only 31 at the time, but his endless partying had taken a severe toll on his body. [179], Ray Davies notably lauded Moon's drumming during his speech for the Kinks' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 1990: " Keith Moon changed the sound of drumming. September 6, 1978. "'Tis well." 2. Speaking to The Guardian, Christopher Frayling said they "decided that bad behaviour and overdosing on various substances wasn't a sufficient qualification." [135], In 1975 Moon began a relationship with Swedish model Annette Walter-Lax, who later said that Moon was "so sweet when he was sober, that I was just living with him in the hope that he would kick all this craziness. [118] Even when the group became relatively financially stable after Tommy, Moon continued to rack up debts. 'The quantity was enormous,' Professor Simpson wrote down, 'and constituted a vast overdose.'. [24]:7:44, Although Moon was known for kicking over his drum kit, Haynes claimed that it was done carefully and the kit rarely needed repairs. I figured that was it. He became addicted to alcohol, particularly brandy and champagne, and acquired a reputation for decadence and dark humour; his nickname was "Moon the Loon". "[102], On 23 August 1967, on tour opening for Herman's Hermits, Moon celebrated what he said was his 21st birthday (although it was thought at the time to be his 20th) at a Holiday Inn in Flint, Michigan. Keith Moon was more than just rock's greatest drummer, he was a phenomenal character and an extravagant hell raiser who - in a final, uncharacteristic act of grace - actually did die before he got old. [86] He spent his share of the band's income quickly, and was a regular at London clubs such as the Speakeasy (where manager Roy Flynn recalls having to throw him out on three occasions[87]) and The Bag O'Nails; the combination of pills and alcohol escalated into alcoholism and drug addiction later in his life. The public Keith Moon was The Whos manic drummer and hellraising, daredevil comedian; a man who only ever lived in the moment. When I was about eleven or twelve, my favourite part of drum lessons was the last ten minutes, when I'd get to sit at the drumset and play along to my favourite record.