An addled Keith Moon f***ing with his kid was beyond forgiveness. 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. [65] Later that year, during their appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, he bribed a stagehand to load gunpowder into one of his bass drums; the stagehand used about ten times the standard amount. When she refused, he said, "If you don't like it, you can fuck off!" Those were his last words - he was found dead of an overdose after. GEORGE WASHINGTON. 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. Jul 9, 2019 - Knowing the last words that someone spoke can sometimes throw light on their character or on the circumstances in which they died. When she told him she wanted to go anyway, he changed his mind and called his dealer who delivered some cocaine. I mean somebody good?" Watch the full interview. It was Professor Keith Simpson, as it was with Cass Elliot, who performed the post mortem. [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. "[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. After an investigation, the coroner ruled Boland's death an accident; Moon, having been charged with a number of offences, received an absolute discharge. "[158] The New Book of Rock Lists ranked Moon No. The press party for the release of the Who's Next album was held at Tara. During a lunar eclipse, Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, blocking the sunlight falling on the Moon. 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. 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. Keith with Annette on the night he died. 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. McCartney had acquired the rights to Hollys song publishing, and a biopic, The Buddy Holly Story, was premiering later that night. "[75] Dave Marsh, reviewing the album in Rolling Stone, wrote: "There isn't any legitimate reason for this album's existence. 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. Related articles John Lennon letter to Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson fetches 53,000 "[78], Nevertheless, the drummer landed several acting roles. During the concert, Moon passed out on his drum kit during "Won't Get Fooled Again". [79] Moon's next film role was J.D. to Moon as he tries to sneak into the studio. "[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. [18], During this time Moon joined his first serious band: the Escorts, replacing his best friend Gerry Evans. "[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. [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. Moon suffered a number of setbacks during the 1970s, most notably the accidental death of chauffeur Neil Boland and the breakdown of his marriage. [53] In recognition of his loyalty to the company, Premier reissued the kit in 2006 as the "Spirit of Lily". Andrew Neill and Matthew Kent estimated that his destruction of hotel toilets and plumbing cost as much as 300,000 ($500,000). [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. "So Sad About Us" gains much of its . "[180], "God bless his beautiful heart" Ozzy Osbourne told Sounds a month after the drummer's death. [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. "[97], Moon's favourite stunt was to flush powerful explosives down toilets. [53] In 1973 Premier's marketing manager, Eddie Haynes, began consulting Moon about specific requirements. "[89], According to Townshend, Moon began destroying hotel rooms when the Who stayed at the Berlin Hilton on tour in late 1966. [155] Police determined that there were 32 clomethiazole pills in Moon's system. When she objected, Moon replied, "If you don't like it, you can fuck off!" Moon was the bad boy of rock & roll, the most manic member of an aggressive and fabulously successful band, a full-throttle . His band recently released their new album called . I was scared to death. When Walter-Lax checked on him the following afternoon, she discovered he was dead. On That'll Be the Day it was social drinking. I was working during the day, selling plaster. Of the thirty-two Heminevrin tablets he found in Moon's stomach, twenty-six were undissolved. TIL that Keith Moon, the drummer for The Who, asked his then-girlfriend, Walter-Lax, to cook him steak and eggs. Keith gasped at the soft voice, sounding exactly the same as the voice of the woman in his dream. 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. His life was a truly tumultuous ride. Paperback. Gustav Mahler. His drumming continues to be praised by critics and musicians. [125] The marriage (and child) were kept secret from the press until May 1968. Throughout Moon's tenure with the Who, his drum kit steadily grew in size, and (along with Ginger Baker) he has been credited as one of the earliest rock drummers to regularly employ double bass drums in his setup. [150] The pills were prescribed by Geoffrey Dymond, a physician who was unaware of Moon's lifestyle. 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. 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). [145], Those close to Moon said that he was haunted by Boland's death for the rest of his life. [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. "[36] On 23 June 1977, he made a guest appearance at a Led Zeppelin concert in Los Angeles. [146], In mid-1978, Moon moved into Flat 12, 9 Curzon Place (later Curzon Square), Shepherd Market, Mayfair, London, renting from Harry Nilsson. Pinterest. Moon overdosed on prescribed Heminevrin, a strong sedative meant to ease alcohol withdrawal symptoms as he struggled to get sober. [35], Unlike contemporary rock drummers such as Ginger Baker and John Bonham, Moon hated drum solos and refused to play them in concert. [134] She died in a car accident in Austin, Texas, on 2 August 2006. [108] Moon passed out again during "Magic Bus", and was again removed from the stage. When asked by an audience member what would happen to the kit, he joked that "even the best drummers get hungry. "[182], In 1998 Tony Fletcher published a biography of Moon, Dear Boy: The Life of Keith Moon, in the United Kingdom. This erroneous date appeared in several otherwise-reliable sources, including the Townshend-authorised biography Before I Get Old: The Story of The Who. [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. "[143] Townshend agreed, saying that by 1975 Butler had "no influence over him whatsoever. [121] The incorrect date had been supplied by Moon in interviews before it was corrected by Fletcher to 1946. Townshend disagreed, assuring him that "lightning wouldn't strike the same place twice". He quickly ended the interview when the journalist asked him about the Who's future plans. I'd been used to penny bangers before. Recorded on August 14th, 1975. I just want to play drums for the Who and that's it. 25 JUDAS PRIEST / PRISONER OF YOUR EYES Judas Priest can write a goddamn ballad - "Last Rose of Summer" from Sin After Sin is the definition of a bittersweet kiss, and Turbo 's "Out in the Cold," so icy and forlorn, is secretly one of their best songs. Moon developed a habit of kicking over his drums, claiming that he did so in exasperation at an audience's indifference. [90] In addition to hotel rooms, Moon destroyed friends' homes and even his own, including throwing furniture from upper-storey windows. This new edition includes a newly written After word that consiers Moon's lasting legacy . 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. "John [Entwistle] and I used to have fights it wasn't very serious, it was more of an emotional spur-of-the moment thing. Mass Market Paperback. [122] By the end of the year she discovered she was pregnant. [111] Marsh suggested that at this point Daltrey and Entwistle seriously considered firing Moon, but decided that doing so would make his life worse. [59], At an early show at the Railway Tavern in Harrow, Townshend smashed his guitar after accidentally breaking it. All rights reserved. Six are enough to be fatal and Moon never regained consciousness. He explained that the group had totally lost their way: "Harry Nilsson, Bobby Keyes, Keith Moon. [88] "[We] went through the same stages everybody goes through the bloody drug corridor", he later reflected. The untimely loss of Keith Moon, one of the world's most skilled drummers, still hits rock music fans hard every so often. Longtime friend and personal assistant Butler observed, "He was trying to make people laugh and be Mr Funny, he wanted people to love him and enjoy him, but he would go so far. God bless you, Harry, wherever you are but, Jesus, you know, I had . 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. I went into a panic.. The Who spent the afternoon visiting local radio stations with Nancy Lewis (then the band's publicist), and Moon posed for a photo outside the hotel in front of a "Happy Birthday Keith" sign put up by the hotel management. He's dead, so what? (Republished in Modern Drummer Magazine, April 2006), Last edited on 15 February 2023, at 16:59, "Modern Drummer's Readers Poll Archive, 19792014", "Rolling Stone Readers Pick Best Drummers of All Time", "Roger Daltrey: 'Keith Moon Would've Left The Who for The Beach Boys', "The Day Keith Moon Joined Led Zeppelin Onstage", "Interview with Ron Caines And Geoff Nicholson", "19731974 Premier double tom row kits | Keith Moon's Drumkits | Whotabs", "Smash Your Head Against The Wall (credits)", "Interview with Dougal Butler by Mark Raison", "Who's vexed? 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. Dressed in ginger clothes and with his hair dyed ginger (future bandmate Pete Townshend later described him as a "ginger vision"),[24]:52:40 he claimed to his would-be bandmates that he could play better; he played in the set's second half, nearly demolishing the drum kit in the process. Subsitute03. One of the things we'd do was wait to see what Keith Moon was going to wear . Moon continued briefly and then stopped, shouting "Drum solos are boring! "The general perception of Keith Moon as a drummer is that he was . She cooked his favourite, lamb cutlets, after which they went to bed to watch a video of the camp horror film The Abominable Doctor Phibes. "I never realised dynamite was so powerful. Townshend called vocalist Roger Daltrey and then bassist John Entwistle, who was being interviewed at the time. He was also the songwriter responsible for many of Sandie Shaw's most Mark Blake is a music journalist and author. 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. 1968~. Producers on the movie are Sinclair, Oliver Veysey and Jeanne Elfant . [15] He also enjoyed singing, with a particular interest in Motown. A month earlier, The Who released Who Are You, their first new album in three years. The official cause of death was listed on the certificate as Clomethiazole (Heminevrin) overdose, self-administered but no evidence of intention. Track Records-MCA released a Moon solo single in 1974, comprising cover versions of the Beach Boys' "Don't Worry, Baby" and "Teenage Idol". 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. "[99], Moon moved from cherry bombs to M-80 fireworks to sticks of dynamite, which became his explosive of choice. If they have a round table, some glasses and candles, we might contact him. [adsense-gallery] [zergnet] Prev 7 of 7 Next. "[140] In 1974, Moon struck up a friendship with actor Oliver Reed while working on the film version of Tommy. Moon's contribution. "[110] Doctors told Curbishley that if he had not intervened, Moon would have bled to death. The band stopped playing, and a group of roadies carried Moon offstage. Annette rang Dr Dymond, who called an ambulance. It's too good for words. "[77] His performance was not appreciated by animal lovers, several of whom called the station with complaints. [8] He was interested in practical jokes and home science kits, with a particular fondness for explosions. Upon returning, he asked the manager to stay for a moment, as he wanted to explain something. Six were digested, sufficient to cause his death; the other 26 were undigested when he died. 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 WhoMaple Leaf GardensToronto, Ontario, CanadaOctober 21, 1976Audience Recording by JEMS01. Moon the Loons aptitude for music was clear during his Wembley childhood as were his more troubling tendencies. I Can't Explain02. For a short while, Daltrey's puch seemed to knock some sense into Moon. [28] Although Townshend described him as a "completely different person to anyone I've ever met",[24]:38:48 the pair had a rapport in the early years and enjoyed practical jokes and improvised comedy. In 2016, the same magazine ranked him No. in Bournemouth. The couple arrived at Peppermint Park, where Annette has since insisted Moon didnt drink or, if he did, limited himself to just two drinks. [71], Moon's friendship with Entwistle led to an appearance on Smash Your Head Against the Wall, Entwistle's first solo album and the first by a member of the Who. 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. [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. [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. But at 8:48, Moons special Wont Get Fooled Again drum solo is featured front and center; his rapid arm movements look stark against the technicolor laser show. 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. He was the drummer for the seminal and influential English rock band The Who. He remembers managers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp saying, "We trust you with Keith but if you ever want any time off, for a holiday or some sort of rest, let us know and we'll pay for it." At the age of 12, he had joined the Sea Cadet Corp and was given his first musical instrument, the bugle. Curbishley told Townshend, who informed the rest of the band. "And of course from that moment on," the guitarist remembered, "we got thrown out of every hotel we ever stayed in. He said: 'You come 'ere.' [143], On 4 January 1970 Moon accidentally killed his friend, driver and bodyguard, Neil Boland, outside the Red Lion pub in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. : 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. The Who's drummer, Keith Moon, was at the height of his career and fame in 1970, the same year his name was plastered all over the news for reasons other than his band's massive success or his typical rockstar antics. Pub patrons had begun to attack his Bentley; Moon, drunk, began driving to escape them and hit Boland. [19] In December 1962 he joined the Beachcombers, a semi-professional London cover band playing hits by groups such as the Shadows. 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. The band continued without him for several songs before Townshend asked, "Can anyone play the drums? "[181], Clem Burke of Blondie has said "Early on all I cared about was Keith Moon and the Who. A partial lunar eclipse happens when only part of Earth's shadow covers the Moon. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, By the time that Keith Moon took to the stage at Shepperton Studios on May 25, 1978, his relationship with the rest of The Who was terribly strained. [138] In the early 1970s Moon helped Stanshall with his "Radio Flashes" radio show for BBC Radio 1, filling in for the vacationing John Peel. Dymond prescribed a bottle of 100 pills, instructing him to take one pill when he felt a craving for alcohol but not more than three pills per day. "[78], Early in the Who's career, Moon got to know the Beatles. Talking to Moons biographer Tony Fletcher, Annette remembered Keith taking his usual glass of water and bucket of pills before falling asleep around 4:am. Guitarist Pete Townshend was the first Who member to be told the news by the groups co-manager Jackie Curbishley. "A Quick One, While . The life and times of Keith Moon, the imperious drummer in The Who, is one marred in tragic lows and buoyed by ecstatic highs. "[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. Earlier that night, Moon and his girlfriend, Annette Walter-Lax, attended the Buddy Holly Story premiere with Linda and Paul McCartney. 1 on its list of "50 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Drummers",[171] and he was ranked No. That's why he had two sets of tom-toms. [129] The Moons entertained extravagantly at home, and owned a number of cars. [82] Moon's last film appearance was in 1978's Sextette.[83]. But he was loud and strong. Moons closest friend in the group then broke down in tears. [154], Moon's death came shortly after the release of Who Are You. In 1972 the performance was released as a companion disc to Lennon and Ono's album Some Time in New York City. 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. We tell stories with heart, humor, and authenticity to celebrate American life. [37], Moon also aspired to sing lead vocal on some songs. By the time Stardust came round it was hard drinking. I said, mild as you please: 'Yes, yes?' His first was in 1971, a cameo in Frank Zappa's 200 Motels as a nun afraid of dying from a drug overdose. In 1967, he contributed backing vocals to "All You Need Is Love". [9] On his way home from school, Moon would often go to Macari's Music Studio on Ealing Road to practise on the drums there, learning his basic skills on the instrument. 2 on the UK charts. Moon enjoyed touring and socialising, and became bored and restless when the Who were inactive. The proposal never happened. "He was too much of a child himself. The late '70s proved a double whammy for the "Let My Love Open the Door" singer and his surviving bandmates.
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