Born in Nortwest London (UK) on 23 August 1946, Keith John Moon was an English drummer who played with the English rock band The Who, together with Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and John Entwistle. Moon remained with the band during their rise to fame, and was quickly recognised for his drumming style, which emphasised tom-toms, cymbal crashes, and drum fills. He occasionally collaborated with other musicians and later appeared in films, but considered playing in The Who his primary occupation and remained a member of the band until his death.
Moon developed a reputation for smashing his kit on stage and destroying hotel rooms on tour. He was fascinated by blowing up toilets with cherry bombs or dynamite, and by destroying television sets. Moon enjoyed touring and socialising, and was bored and restless when the Who were inactive. His 21st birthday party in Flint, Michigan, has been cited as a notorious example of decadent behaviour by rock groups.
Moon suffered a number of setbacks during the 1970s, most notably the accidental death of chauffeur Neil Boland and the breakdown of his marriage. He became addicted to alcohol, particularly brandy and champagne, and acquired a reputation for decadence and dark humour; his nickname was “Moon the Loon.” After moving to Los Angeles with personal assistant Peter “Dougal” Butler during the mid-1970s, Moon recorded his only solo album, the poorly received ‘Two Sides of the Moon’. While touring with the Who, on several occasions he passed out on stage and was hospitalised. By their final tour with him in 1976, and particularly during production of ‘The Kids Are Alright’ and ‘Who Are You’, the drummer’s deterioration was evident. Moon moved back to London in 1978. He died on 7 September of that year from an overdose of Heminevrin, a drug intended to treat or prevent symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
Kate mentions Keith Moon as ‘Moony’ in the lyrics of her song Blow Away (For Bill).
References
- Keith Moon. Wikipedia, retrieved 19 September 2017.
