"[182], In 1998 Tony Fletcher published a biography of Moon, Dear Boy: The Life of Keith Moon, in the United Kingdom. 3. "[158] The New Book of Rock Lists ranked Moon No. 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. "He was too much of a child himself. I figured that was it. "And of course from that moment on," the guitarist remembered, "we got thrown out of every hotel we ever stayed in. by The Who's famous drummer ended his career as a musician and comedian when he lost his life on Sep. 7, 1978. [176] Animal, one of Jim Henson's Muppet characters, may have been based on Keith Moon due to their similar hair, eyebrows, personality and drumming style. This is the 'Oo. At a Madison Square Garden show on 10 June 1974, Townshend and Entwistle decided to spontaneously stop playing during "Waspman" to listen to Moon's drum solo. The untimely loss of Keith Moon, one of the world's most skilled drummers, still hits rock music fans hard every so often. The life and times of Keith Moon, the imperious drummer in The Who, is one marred in tragic lows and buoyed by ecstatic highs. Keith Moon's (original drummer for The Who) last words were "if you don't like it, you can fuck off!" So rock and roll. When Walter-Lax checked on him the following afternoon, she discovered he was dead. 1. [96] David Puttnam recalled, "The drinking went from being a joke to being a problem. In the great green room. A true rollercoaster career that would epitomise the folly of being a rock star, Moon has remained a tragic figure ever since. He ate the steak while he watched the film The Abominable Dr Phibes but fell back to sleep after taking 32 Heminevrin tablets which were prescribed to help alcohol withdrawal. On the album cover, he 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 words "NOT TO BE TAKEN AWAY" appear on the back of the chair. He was also the songwriter responsible for many of Sandie Shaw's most [37], Moon also aspired to sing lead vocal on some songs. His first was in 1971, a cameo in Frank Zappa's 200 Motels as a nun afraid of dying from a drug overdose. [adsense-gallery] [zergnet] Prev 7 of 7 Next. During much of 1964 and 1965 his setups consisted of Ludwig drums and Zildjian cymbals. Moon the Loons aptitude for music was clear during his Wembley childhood as were his more troubling tendencies. [98] Entwistle later said, "He decided that if it was a publicised fact that it was his 21st birthday, he would be able to drink. Moon was . JOHN ADAMS. [151] Max Glatt, an authority on alcoholism, wrote in The Sunday Times that Moon should never have been given the drug. He then jumped back into the limo, saying "I nearly forgot. 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. [59], At an early show at the Railway Tavern in Harrow, Townshend smashed his guitar after accidentally breaking it. "[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 Moons passionate, self-destructive legacy not only endures in rock music but haunts the classic rock band which still performs to this day. The last photo of Keith Moon As last words go, they are pretty hard to beat. "[97], Moon's favourite stunt was to flush powerful explosives down toilets. Van der Valk Miss Scarlet & The Duke Antiques Roadshow PBS Newshour Finding Your Roots But he was loud and strong. 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. After playing with a local band, the Beachcombers, he joined the Who in 1964 before they recorded their first single. Cass Elliot of the Mamas and the Papas had died there four years earlier, at the age of 32;[147][148] Nilsson was concerned about letting the flat to Moon, believing it was cursed. Because I want to break your fucking jaw You have fucked this band around so many times and I'm not having it any more. Moon continued briefly and then stopped, shouting "Drum solos are boring! During a lunar eclipse, Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, blocking the sunlight falling on the Moon. The official cause of death was listed on the certificate as Clomethiazole (Heminevrin) overdose, self-administered but no evidence of intention. Clover, drummer for the fictional Stormy Tempest (played by Billy Fury) at a holiday camp during the early days of British rock 'n' roll, in 1973's That'll Be the Day. [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. When Haynes said that it would be prohibitively expensive, Moon replied: "Dear boy, do exactly as you feel it should be, but that's the way I want it." [177][178] Jazz drummer Elvin Jones praised Moon's work during "Underture", as integral to the song's effect. [54] His first Premier kit was in red sparkle and featured two high toms. One of the things we'd do was wait to see what Keith Moon was going to wear . He provided humorous commentary during song announcements, although sound engineer Bob Pridden preferred to mute his vocal microphone on the mixing desk whenever possible. Outside the cinema Keith spotted Melody Maker journalist Roy Carr and grabbed him in a bear hug. "Substitute," the band's follow-up, cracked the top . "[93], Fletcher argues that the Who's lengthy break (15 December 1971 11 August 1972) between the end of their 1971 Who's Next Tour and the beginning of the Quadrophenia sessions devastated Moon's health,[94] as without the rigours of lengthy shows and regular touring that had previously kept him in shape, his hard-partying lifestyle took a greater 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. Keith John Moon (23 August 1946[2] 7 September 1978) was an English drummer for the rock band the Who. 0 Votes. Moon was the bad boy of rock & roll, the most manic member of an aggressive and fabulously successful band, a full-throttle . Moon (or Entwistle) remarked that a particular suggestion had gone down like a "lead zeppelin" (a play on "lead balloon"). Annette Walter-Lax says the Who drummer's last words were "If you don't like it, you can f*** off!" After Annette left the flat, Moon took a deadly amount of Heminevrin: 32 pills. [29] Moon's recklessness with money reduced his profit from the group's 1975 UK tour to 47.35 (equivalent to 423 in 2021). Actor: Tommy. In a 1981 Los Angeles Times interview he admitted, "A lot of times when Keith was blowing up toilets I was standing behind him with the matches. I'd several drinks to get me courage up and when I got onstage I went arrgggGhhhh on the drums, broke the bass drum pedal and two skins, and got off. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). I just want to play drums for the Who and that's it. "[180], "God bless his beautiful heart" Ozzy Osbourne told Sounds a month after the drummer's death. [27], Moon was particularly fond of touring, since it was his only chance to regularly socialise with his bandmates, and was generally restless and bored when not playing live. When you've got money and you do the kind of things I get up to, people laugh and say that you're eccentric, which is a polite way of saying you're fucking mad. There was rumour that Keith was self-taught,. According to Pamela Des Barres, Moon had nightmares (which woke them both) about the incident and said he had no right to be alive. [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. May 25, 2021, 3:00 pm Technical details. "[158][149] In November 1978, Faces drummer Kenney Jones joined the Who. Moon filled in for Peel in 1973's "A Touch of the Moon", a series of four programmes produced by John Walters. Moon and Entwistle left the Who for a week (with Moon hoping to join the Animals or the Nashville Teens), but they changed their minds and returned. [151], By September 1978 Moon was having difficulty playing the drums, according to roadie Dave "Cy" Langston. [153], Curbishley phoned the flat at around 5:00p.m. looking for Moon, and Dymond gave him the news. Keith Moon: Classic Images of the Iconic Drummer. [130], In 1973 Kim, convinced that neither she nor anyone else could moderate Keith's behaviour, left her husband and took Amanda;[131] she sued for divorce in 1975 and later married Faces keyboard player Ian McLagan. For a short while, Daltrey's puch seemed to knock some sense into Moon. Related articles John Lennon letter to Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson fetches 53,000 [112], Entwistle has said that Moon and the Who reached their live peak in 197576. "[99], Moon moved from cherry bombs to M-80 fireworks to sticks of dynamite, which became his explosive of choice. Who producer Jon Astley said, "You didn't think he was keeping time, but he was. It was the concluding show on their tour. Moon's performance on "Bell Boy" (Quadrophenia, 1973) saw him abandon "serious" vocal performances to sing in character, which gave him (in Fletcher's words) "full licence to live up to his reputation as a lecherous drunk"; it was "exactly the kind of performance the Who needed from him to bring them back down to earth. It wasn't long after moving into Nilsson's apartment that Moon started his course with Hemievrin . 1990. "[25] Daltrey said that Moon "just instinctively put drum fills in places that other people would never have thought of putting them. not for children. Not a man prone to public displays of emotion, Entwistle continued with the interview until asked when The Who plans for the future. Keith John Moon (23 August 1946 - 7 September 1978) was an English drummer for the rock band the Who.He was noted for his unique style of playing and his eccentric, often self-destructive behaviour. After dining with the McCartneys at Peppermint Park in Covent Garden, Moon and Walter-Lax returned to their flat. [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. AllMusic's Bruce Eder said, "When Keith Moon died, the Who carried on and were far more competent and reliable musically, but that wasn't what sold rock records. Although it featured Moon on vocals, he played drums on only three tracks; most of the drumming was left to others (including Ringo Starr, session musicians Curly Smith and Jim Keltner, and actor-musician Miguel Ferrer). Moon joined The Who when he was only 17 years old. And it was this version of Keith Moon that led to his untimely death on September 7 1978. "[98] He quickly developed a reputation for destroying bathrooms and blowing up toilets. The public Keith Moon was The Who 's manic drummer and hellraising, daredevil comedian; a man who only ever lived in the moment. The Who frontman Roger Daltrey said of Moon (via GQ), "Keith lived his entire life as a fantasy.He was the funniest man I've ever known, but he was also the saddest." Indeed, for (at least) his whole adult life, it seemed like Moon was trying to hide his real self, doing all . 2 in their list of the 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time, behind John Bonham. When the audience demanded he do it again, Moon kicked over his drum kit. [156] Moon was cremated on 13 September 1978 at Golders Green Crematorium in London, and his ashes were scattered in its Gardens of Remembrance. "A Quick One, While . Andrew Neill and Matthew Kent estimated that his destruction of hotel toilets and plumbing cost as much as 300,000 ($500,000). 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His music blends a unique mix of rock, jazz and influences from his Mexican heritage. [146], In mid-1978, Moon moved into Flat 12, 9 Curzon Place (later Curzon Square), Shepherd Market, Mayfair, London, renting from Harry Nilsson. His last word was "Mozart!". "[143] Townshend agreed, saying that by 1975 Butler had "no influence over him whatsoever. When The Who featured as guests on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in September 1967, the band was asked by the hosts in advance to destroy their instruments. [60] Subsequent live sets culminated in what the band later described as "auto-destructive art", in which band members (particularly Moon and Townshend) elaborately destroyed their equipment. . Tara was a house on St Anns Hill, Chertsey, Surrey owned by The Who 's drummer Keith Moon in the 1970s, but was demolished and replaced by a new home in 1990. Clomethiazole is discouraged for unsupervised detoxification because of its addictive potential, its tendency to induce tolerance, and its risk of death when mixed with alcohol. His favourite musicians were jazz artists, particularly Gene Krupa (whose flamboyant style he subsequently copied). A month earlier, The Who released Who Are You, their first new album in three years. A drummer in the audience, Scot Halpin, came up and played the rest of the show. But it was too late. No one. Annette rang Dr Dymond, who called an ambulance. . The Moon indeed. Moon was recognised for his drumming style, which emphasised tom-toms, cymbal crashes, and drum fills. [134] She died in a car accident in Austin, Texas, on 2 August 2006. But his wild exterior distracted from a slate of intense addiction issues. $37.74 8 Used from $13.97 9 New from $22.34. [35], Unlike contemporary rock drummers such as Ginger Baker and John Bonham, Moon hated drum solos and refused to play them in concert. 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. [57] This kit was not used at the Who's performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. The destruction mesmerised him, and enhanced his public image as rock's premier hell-raiser. . A furious Holiday Inn management presented the groups with a bill for $24,000, which was reportedly settled by Herman's Hermits tour manager Edd McCann. It was a powerful sedative prescribed to him by Harley Street physician, Dr Geoffrey Dymond. "So Sad About Us" gains much of its . [18], During this time Moon joined his first serious band: the Escorts, replacing his best friend Gerry Evans. It was exactly 40 years ago today that Who drummer . Jack McCullogh, then working for Track Records (the Who's label), recalls Moon ordering him to purchase a milk float to store in the garage at Tara. He didn't do anything to talk of. Born in Wembley, a suburb of London, England, at age 12 he joined the local Sea Cadet Corps where he learned to play the bugle and later, the drums. And it was this version of Keith Moon that led to his untimely death on September 7 1978. Drummer Keith Moon (1947 - 1978), of British rock group The Who, in a radio studio at Broadcasting House, London, 12th July 1973. [58] From 1967 to 1969 Moon used the "Pictures of Lily" drum kit (named for its artwork), which had two 22-inch (56cm) bass drums, two 16-inch (41cm) floor toms and three mounted toms. I said, mild as you please: 'Yes, yes?' "[36] On 23 June 1977, he made a guest appearance at a Led Zeppelin concert in Los Angeles. With a focus on news, media, and humor, we are a RARE voice in todays media landscape. At the hotel he ran back to his room, grabbed the television and threw it out of the window into the swimming pool below. Rocks greatest drummer was just 32 years old when he died. "[7], Moon joined his local Sea Cadet Corps band at the age of twelve on the bugle, but found the instrument too difficult to learn and decided to take up drums instead. "[128] He loved Amanda, but his absences due to touring and fondness for practical jokes made their relationship uneasy when she was very young. [175] The Jam paid homage to Moon on the second single from their third album, "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight"; the B-side of the single is a Who cover ("So Sad About Us"), and the back cover of the record has a photo of Moon's face. [119][120], Before the 1998 release of Tony Fletcher's Dear Boy: The Life of Keith Moon, Moon's date of birth was presumed to be 23 August 1947. On That'll Be the Day it was social drinking. It's too good for words. It was Professor Keith Simpson, as it was with Cass Elliot, who performed the post mortem. in Bournemouth. [21] The Beachcombers all had day jobs; Moon, who worked in the sales department at British Gypsum, had the keenest interest in turning professional. Rival 'blue plaque' for Moon puts heritage row centre stage", "John Entwistle, 57; Innovative Bass Player Co-Founded The Who", "Roger Daltrey: 'Keith Moon lived his entire life as a fantasy', "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)", "Iconic model who married Keith Moon dies in car crash", "Who Drummer Zak Starkey Holds Down Super Bowl Halftime", "London 2012 organisers wanted Keith Moon to play at Olympics ceremony", "Interview: 1985?? 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. "[24]:52:29, Moon's arrival in the Who changed the dynamics of the group. This later carried over to other aspects of his life, as he acted them out (according to journalist and Who biographer Dave Marsh) "as if his life were one long tour. 1. He would join them at clubs, forming a particularly close friendship with Ringo Starr. During the Who's early days he began taking amphetamines,[85] and in a NME interview said his favourite food was "French Blues". [104], Returning to the hotel, Moon started a food fight and soon cake began flying through the air. By the time Stardust came round it was hard drinking. [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. The Jam's single was released about a month after Moon's death. [105] However, Roger Daltrey, in an interview on BBC's Top Gear, stated that the group was banned from 'an entire state's worth of Holiday Inns', presumably then Michigan. (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.) Track Records-MCA released a Moon solo single in 1974, comprising cover versions of the Beach Boys' "Don't Worry, Baby" and "Teenage Idol". Today. [164] Since 1996, the Who's drummer has been Ringo Starr's son Zak Starkey, who had been given a drum kit by Moon (whom he called "Uncle Keith"). But Annette hadnt realised quite how many pills he was taking. [6] His art teacher said in a report: "Retarded artistically. Keith with Annette on the night he died. [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. [157], Townshend persuaded Daltrey and Entwistle to carry on touring as The Who, although he later said that it was his means of coping with Moon's death and "completely irrational, bordering on insane". [52], Moon played a four- and later a five-piece drum kit during his early career. 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. the classic rock band which still performs to this day. He was, they insist, trying to get better. Tony Fletcher wrote that "no toilet in a hotel or changing room was safe" until Moon had exhausted his supply of explosives. The Who frontman Roger Daltrey has brought life back to his longtime passion project, a biopic about the iconic rock band's former drummer, Keith Moon. "[32] In the opinion of Atkins, early recordings of Moon's drumming sound tinny and disorganised;[34] it was not until the recording of Who's Next, with Glyn Johns' no-nonsense production techniques and the need to keep time to a synthesizer track, that he began developing more discipline in the studio. My Wife04. [70] On 15 December 1969, Moon joined John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band for a live performance at the Lyceum Theatre in London for a UNICEF charity concert. 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. By Ken Sharp. Go! During the 1973 Quadrophenia tour, at the Who's debut US date at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California, Moon ingested a mixture of tranquillisers and brandy. In Annettes account, Moon woke up at 7:30am and told her he wanted food. Moon developed a habit of kicking over his drums, claiming that he did so in exasperation at an audience's indifference. 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 . Close. [19] In December 1962 he joined the Beachcombers, a semi-professional London cover band playing hits by groups such as the Shadows. His drumming continues to be praised by critics and musicians. : Clem Burke Talks About Eurythmics To Modern Drummer", "The Who's Keith Moon to be honoured with 'blue plaque', "Keith Moon's Love/Hate Relationship With His Drum Set", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keith_Moon&oldid=1139537465, This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 16:59.
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