[122] By the end of the year she discovered she was pregnant. He was in a bad mood and they argued, but Annette cooked him some more lamb. Keith Moons passionate, self-destructive legacy not only endures in rock music but haunts the classic rock band which still performs to this day. Bessie Smith. He was bloated and out of practice. Keith Moon, The Who's celebrated drummer, was born in Wembley on 23 August 1946, and is widely acclaimed as the greatest drummer in the history of rock. [155] Police determined that there were 32 clomethiazole pills in Moon's system. The Who performed two songs that night - I Can See For Miles, the band's first . Who will remember Joe Bloggs who got killed in a car crash? That's the same as around $40 million today after adjusting for inflation. His last word was "Mozart!". Tony Fletcher wrote that "no toilet in a hotel or changing room was safe" until Moon had exhausted his supply of explosives. 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. 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?? See more. Moon developed a habit of kicking over his drums, claiming that he did so in exasperation at an audience's indifference. He claims that, to ensure Harry listened to it, he told . "Drinking suited the group a lot better. Keith John Moon was an English drummer who played with the English rock band the Who. 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. [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. The next evening Moon systematically destroyed everything in his hotel room, cut himself doing so and passed out. Just four months prior, Moon performed live for the last time with The Who, which fans can watch below. from $36.16 2 Used from $36.16. Keith Moon. 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. This drum solo would be the rock legends last. [12] Moon's early style was influenced by jazz, American surf music and rhythm and blues, exemplified by noted Los Angeles studio drummer Hal Blaine. The group was concerned that he would be unable to complete the last leg of the tour, which ended at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto on 21 October (Moon's last public show). [41] At the end of "Happy Jack", Townshend can be heard saying "I saw ya!" Six are enough to be fatal and Moon never regained consciousness. He's dead, so what? "[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. With a focus on news, media, and humor, we are a RARE voice in todays media landscape. "[92], In a limousine on the way to the airport, Moon insisted they return to their hotel, saying "I forgot something." Keith Moon: Classic Images of the Iconic Drummer . [59], At an early show at the Railway Tavern in Harrow, Townshend smashed his guitar after accidentally breaking it. Moon did not play drums on the album; Jerry Shirley did, with Moon providing percussion. The last photo of Keith Moon As last words go, they are pretty hard to beat. Or why not treat yourself? Moon's drumming style affected the band's musical structure; although Entwistle initially found Moon's lack of conventional timekeeping problematic, it created an original sound. But Annette hadnt realised quite how many pills he was taking. . If they have a round table, some glasses and candles, we might contact him. 0 Votes. [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. It was the concluding show on their tour. By 1966, The Who had become bona fide pop stars. The drummer explained that since a cherry bomb was about to explode, he had thrown it down the toilet and showed Townshend the case of cherry bombs. Keith Moon was born on 23 August 1946, spending his formative years in Wembley, not far from the famous stadium. 1. . 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. [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. He was posthumously inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1982, becoming only the second rock . For a short while, Daltrey's puch seemed to knock some sense into Moon. Mark Blake is a music journalist and author. In time, Kim got involved with Ian "Mac" McLagan of the Small Faces and she and Mandy moved in with him at his house in Sheen . Someone somewhere will say, 'Remember Keith Moon?' At the age of 12, he had joined the Sea Cadet Corp and was given his first musical instrument, the bugle. As the genius drummer for The Who, wild-man Moon is a non-. New Musical Express's Roy Carr wrote, "Moonie, if you didn't have talent, I wouldn't care; but you have, which is why I'm not about to accept Two Sides of the Moon. I said, Whats wrong? He said, No, no, you suddenly realise who your friends are Moon didnt elaborate, and Carr later admitted the drummer looked, shagged out and like a caricature of himself., Inside the cinema, Keith seemed agitated and insisted they leave an hour into the movie. "[84] She begged Malibu neighbour Larry Hagman to check Moon into a clinic to dry out (as he had attempted to do before), but when doctors recorded Moon's chemical intake at breakfast a bottle of champagne, Courvoisier and amphetamines they concluded that there was no hope for his rehabilitation. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Of the thirty-two Heminevrin tablets he found in Moon's stomach, twenty-six were undissolved. But his wild exterior distracted from a slate of intense addiction issues. Posted by 6 years ago. Moon was recognised for his drumming style, which emphasised tom-toms, cymbal crashes, and drum fills. In 1966 Moon moved to an even larger kit,[55] but without the customary hi-hatat the time he preferred keeping ride rhythms with ride and crash cymbals, but he later reinstated the hi-hats. Earlier that night, Moon and his girlfriend, Annette Walter-Lax, attended the Buddy Holly Story premiere with Linda and Paul McCartney. [10] Moon then enrolled at Harrow Technical College; this led to a job as a radio repairman, enabling him to buy his first drum kit. At the hotel he ran back to his room, grabbed the television and threw it out of the window into the swimming pool below. [23], A commonly cited story of how Moon joined the Who in 1964 is that he appeared at a show shortly after Sandom's departure, where a session drummer was used. [48] Moon also co-composed "The Ox" (an instrumental from their debut album, My Generation) with Townshend, Entwistle and keyboardist Nicky Hopkins. Annette Walter-Lax says the Who drummers last words were If you dont like it, you can f*** off! After Annette left the flat, Moon took a deadly amount of Heminevrin: 32 pills. [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. Who producer Jon Astley said, "You didn't think he was keeping time, but he was. Townshend later said that Jones "was one of the few British drummers who could fill Keith's shoes";[159] Daltrey was less enthusiastic, saying that Jones "wasn't the right style". [58], While Moon generally said he was only interested in working with the Who,[31] he participated in outside musical projects. [146], In mid-1978, Moon moved into Flat 12, 9 Curzon Place (later Curzon Square), Shepherd Market, Mayfair, London, renting from Harry Nilsson. 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. In response the drummer asked him up to his room, excused himself to go to the bathroom, put a lit stick of dynamite in the toilet and shut the bathroom door. Moon lived a short and talented life that was fueled by famous friendships, alcoholism, and the drums. [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! But he was loud and strong. Moon, so far gone in his addictions, was out of practice could barely keep up with the band. [118] Even when the group became relatively financially stable after Tommy, Moon continued to rack up debts. 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. [88] "[We] went through the same stages everybody goes through the bloody drug corridor", he later reflected. [123] She and Moon were married on 17 March 1966 at Brent Register Office,[124] and their daughter Amanda was born on 12 July. Always unpredictable, the mercurial drummer performed one of his last-ever shows amid unfamiliar surroundings, given that he was on stage with the mighty Led Zeppelin in 1977. 19: 'So Sad About Us'. Actor: Tommy. The UK's Heritage Foundation disagreed with the decision, presenting a plaque which was unveiled on 9 March 2009. Drummer Keith Moon (1947 - 1978), of British rock group The Who, in a radio studio at Broadcasting House, London, 12th July 1973. This is the 'Oo. Heminevrin quelled the craving for alcohol, but sometimes left users in a docile and forgetful state. It was just another night in the life of a successful rock star: a film premiere and a party. The legendary The Who drummer Keith Moon was found dead in London back in 1978 at the age of 32 after after an overdose of clometiazole, a substance prescribed for him to relieve alcohol withdrawal symptoms. The intensity of the explosion singed Townshend's hair and embedded a piece of cymbal in Moon's arm. "People will be talking about Keith Moon 'til they die, man. Close. Keith Moon and daughter Amanda with some of his car collection. 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. September 7, 2018. : 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.