Keith Moon

Keith Moon

Keith John Moon (August 23, 1946 – September 7, 1978) was the drummer of the rock group The Who. He gained fame and notoriety for his exuberant drumming style and his destructive lifestyle. Moon joined The Who in 1964, replacing Doug Sandom. He played on all albums from their debut, 1965's My Generation, to 1978's Who Are You, which was released two weeks before his death.

Moon is known for innovative, dramatic drumming, often eschewing basic back beats for a fluid, extremely busy technique focused on fast, cascading rolls across the toms and cymbal crashes. Moon was one of the first to play the drums as a lead instrument in an era when drums were supposed to only keep the back beat. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most distinctive rock drummers of all time.

Biography

Keith John Moon lived in Wembley as a boy, was extremely hyperactive, and had a restless imagination. Alfred's nickname for his son was "Nobby." As a youth, one thing that could hold his attention was music. A report from his secondary modern school is not encouraging – his art teacher, for example, commented: 'Retarded artistically. Idiotic in other respects.' Teacher Aaron Sofocleous praised his music skills and encouraged his chaotic style, even if one school report noted "He has great ability, but must guard against a tendency to show off." Moon failed his eleven plus exam and left school in 1961.

On 17 March 1966, Moon married his pregnant girlfriend Kim Kerrigan in secrecy. Their daughter Amanda was born four months later, on 12 July. In 1973, Moon left Kerrigan. In 1974 he began dating Swedish model Annette Walter-Lax. The next year he officially divorced Kerrigan and stated he was going to marry Annette, although they finally didn't.

Early musical career

At twelve, Moon joined his local Sea Cadet Corps band as a bugle player, but quickly traded his position to be a drummer. Moon started drums at fourteen after his father bought him a drum kit. Moon received drumming lessons from one of the loudest drummers at the time, Carlo Little, paying him 10 shillings a lesson. During this time he joined his first serious band "The Escorts". He later spent 18 months as the drummer for the "The Beachcombers", a London cover band most notable for their renditions of songs by Cliff Richard.

Moon initially played in the style of American surf rock and R&B drummers, utilising grooves and fills of those genres, particularly Hal Blaine of Wrecking Crew. However, he played faster and louder, with more persistence and authority. Moon's favourite drummers were Jazz greats Gene Krupa, who inspired him to be the showman he was, and Sonny Rollins.

The Who

At 17, Moon joined The Who (in April 1964), a replacement for their original drummer Doug Sandom. Sandom had left the band less than a month earlier and the remaining members hired a session drummer to fulfill a run of shows that they had already agreed to play. Keith Moon was at one of these shows. Peter Townshend later described him as looking like a "ginger man" with his hair dyed ginger and wearing ginger-coloured clothes. As stated in Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who, Keith looked up to Roger Daltrey during the show and said "I hear you're looking for a drummer. Well, I'm much better than the one you've got." The band knew that they needed Moon after seeing him practically smash the drum kit to pieces.

Moon started off on various three - or five-piece drum kits, but made the move to a double bass kit made by Premier in late 1965. Moon decided to simply take two Premier drum kits and put them together. This equipment widened his playing enormously: he abandoned his hi-hat cymbals almost entirely and started basing his grooves on a double bass ostinato with eighth note flams, and a wall of white noise created by riding a crash or ride cymbal. On top of this he would play fills and cymbal accents. This became his trademark style.

Moon's Classic Premier setup comprised two 14x22 inch bass drums, three 8x14 (Tuna Can) mounted toms, two 16x16 floor toms, a 5x14 metal snare (usually a Ludwig Supraphonic), and one extra floor tom of several different sizes (but mainly 16x18 or 16x16). Moon's classic cymbal setup consisted of two Paiste 18" crashes and one 20" ride. In 1973, Moon added a second row of tom-toms (first four, then six) and then, in 1975, two more timbales. These huge kits became well known, notably the amber set in the films, Tommy and Stardust, and in the footage shot by the BBC at Charlton in 1974. The 1975/76 white kit with gold effect fittings was given by Moon to a young Zak Starkey, the son of Ringo Starr. His final kit, a dark metallic one, is seen in the footage from The Kids Are Alright at Shepperton in 1978.

Early in The Who's career, the band's live sets culminated in "auto destruction", with members destroying their equipment in elaborate fashion, an act that would later be imitated by countless other bands and artists (including, notably, Jimi Hendrix in his breakout performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival). Moon showed a particular zeal for this, wildly kicking and smashing his drums. During an appearance on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour television show, he loaded a drum with explosives which were detonated during the finale of "My Generation," singeing Townshend's hair, and embedding a piece of cymbal in his arm (this has been speculated as starting Townshend's tinnitus). Another time, he filled a set of clear acrylic drums entirely with water and used them as tanks for goldfish, actually playing them for a television appearance. When an audience member asked "What happens with your goldfish?" he replied with a grin, "Well I mean, you know...even the best drummers get hungry." Antics like these earned him the nickname "Moon the Loon."

Moon was enthusiastic about singing. His determination to add his voice to The Who songs eventually led the other members to banish him from the studio when vocals were recorded. This led to an ongoing game, with Moon sneaking in to join the singing. At the tail end of "Happy Jack," Townshend can be heard shouting "I saw you!" it is said that he noticed Moon trying to join in surreptitiously. However, Moon can be heard singing on several Who tracks, including a section of "A Quick One While He's Away" (A Quick One, 1966), "Armenia City in the Sky" (The Who Sell Out, 1967), "Bell Boy" (Quadrophenia, 1973), "Pictures of Lily" (1967), "Instant Party Mixture" (My Generation Deluxe Edition, 1965), "Bucket T" and "Barbara Ann" (Ready Steady Who EP, 1966).

He was credited as the composer of "I Need You," which he also sang, and the instrumental "Cobwebs and Strange" (from A Quick One, 1966), the single B-sides "In The City" (co-written by Moon and Entwistle), "Dogs Part Two" (1969) (sharing the credits with Townshend's and Entwistle's dogs, Towser and Jason) and "Wasp Man" (1972), and "Girl's Eyes" (from The Who Sell Out sessions; featured on Thirty Years of Maximum R&B and a 1995 re-release of The Who Sell Out). He also co-composed the instrumental "The Ox" (from their debut album "My Generation") with Townshend, Entwistle and pianist Nicky Hopkins. "Tommy's Holiday Camp" (from Tommy) was credited to Moon, who suggested that the action should take place in a holiday camp. The song was actually written by Townshend, and although many people think he sings on the track, the version featured on the album is Townshend's demo. However he did sing it live, and most famously on the Tommy film. Moon also produced "Baba O'Riley"'s famous violin solo (which he had suggested), and was recorded by Dave Arbus, a friend of his.

Daltrey has said that Moon's unique drumming style was what really held the band together; that Entwistle and Townshend "were like needles... and Keith was the wool."

A reputation for destruction

Moon was highly destructive. He laid waste to hotel rooms, the homes of friends, and even his own home, often throwing furniture out of high windows and destroying the plumbing with fireworks. He frequently flushed powerful fireworks (Cherry bombs) down the toilet and was known to detonate toilets for amusement. The acts, though often fueled by drugs and alcohol, were also his way of expressing his eccentricity, as well as the undeniable joy he got from shocking the public. In Moon's biography, Full Moon, Dougal Butler observed, "He would do anything if he knew that there were enough people around who didn't want him to do it."

Moon's pranks bear a remarkable similarity to those of Australia's self-appointed first (and arguably only) Dadaist, the comedian Barry Humphries, who affected the same maniacal stare as Moon. A darker side to Moon's amusing (mis)behaviour, tentatively diagnosed as having been caused by a Borderline Personality Disorder in Fletcher's biography, was his physical violence towards three important women in his life, namely his wife Kim, girlfriend Annette, and only daughter Mandy. He was also prepared to pay someone to break his ex-wife's second husband's fingers out of jealousy. Annette Walter-Lax described his Mr Hyde-like change into a growling, uncontrollable beast as something out of a horror movie. She eventually begged Malibu neighbour Larry Hagman to check Moon into a clinic to dry out, but when the doctors recorded Moon's intake at breakfast (a full bottle of champagne along with Courvoisier ), they concluded there was no hope. Alice Cooper cherishes the memories of his drinking club The Hollywood Vampires, commenting that Moon ('the Puck of Rock 'n' Roll") used to steal the show by entering dressed up as the Pope. Joe Walsh has recorded chats with Moon, finding it remarkable how witty and alert the inebriated drummer managed to stay, ad-libbing his way through surrealistic fantasy stories à la Peter Cook.

One story concerns him driving a Rolls-Royce car into a swimming pool. Daltrey subsequently witnessed the resulting US$50,000 bill. It occurred at a Holiday Inn hotel pool in Flint, Michigan on Bristol Road and was seen by DJ "Peter C" Cavanaugh, who was the first DJ to play The Who in America. A video interview of Cavanaugh recounting the night's events is now available. Daltrey said in Top Gear that Moon did not drive a Rolls-Royce into a swimming pool, but he did drive a Chrysler Wimbledon into an ornamental pond. According to the book The Who In Their Own Words, Moon said the incident was at the Holiday Inn in Flint, Michigan (at Moon's 21st birthday party), and the car was a Lincoln Continental. He said this was how he broke his front tooth. According to John Entwistle, Moon lost his tooth by slipping on a piece of birthday cake, while he was running away from a cop, and in fact, didn't even see a swimming pool that day. Whatever the events were that occurred that day, the story goes that The Who was banished from every Holiday Inn thereafter.

Although his behaviour was outrageous, it was in the same humorous vein as his friend Vivian Stanshall, of the Bonzo Dog Band. Moon produced Stanshall's version of Elvis Presley's Suspicious Minds.

According to Townshend, Moon's reputation for erratic behaviour was something in which he took pride and cultivated. Once, when The Who was on its way to an airport to catch a flight to their next concert, Moon suddenly insisted that they return to their hotel, saying frantically, "I forgot something. We've got to go back!" When the limo returned, Moon ran to his room, grabbed the TV while it was still plugged in via extension cord, threw it out the window and into the pool. He then jumped back into the limousine, sighing with relief, "I nearly forgot."

On January 4, 1970, Moon was involved in a car-pedestrian death outside the Red Lion pub in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Trying to escape hostile skinheads from the pub who had begun to attack his Bentley, Moon ran over and killed his friend and bodyguard, Neil Boland. Although the coroner said that Boland's death was an accident, and Moon was subsequently given an absolute discharge after having been charged with driving offences, those close to him said Moon was haunted by the accident for the rest of his life. Boland's daughter later investigated and suggested that Moon may not have been driving the car.

Moon's penchant for the wild life was detrimental to his drumming and his reliability as a band member. On their 1973 Quadrophenia tour, at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California, Moon accidentally swallowed horse tranquillizers that had been slipped into his drink the night before. He passed out during "Won't Get Fooled Again" and again in "Magic Bus." When Moon was finally incapacitated, Townshend asked the audience, "Can anyone play the drums? - I mean somebody good." An audience member, Scot Halpin, filled in for Moon for the rest of the show. During the band's recording sabbatical between 1975 and 1978, Moon put on a great deal of weight.

Moon owned a lilac-coloured Rolls-Royce, which he had painted with house paint. On Top Gear, Daltrey commented that Moon liked to take upper-class icons and make them working class. The car is now owned by Middlebrook Garages (based in Nottinghamshire, England).

Work outside The Who

Although Moon's work with The Who dominated his career, he participated in a few minor side projects. In 1966, he teamed with Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck, session man Nicky Hopkins, and future Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones to record an instrumental, "Beck's Bolero," released as a single-double later that year. He also played timpani on another track, "Ol' Man River" (credited on the back of the album as "You Know Who").

Moon is said to have named Led Zeppelin. When an early version of the band was being discussed that would have had himself, John Entwistle on bass, Jimmy Page on guitar, and an undecided vocalist, he stated the potential super group would "go over like a lead zeppelin." He joined Zeppelin on stage and drummed along with John Bonham for the encores in a show on 23 June 1977 at the L.A. Forum (recorded on various Led Zeppelin bootlegs).

In 1974 Track Records/MCA released a solo single: "Don't Worry, Baby" b/w "Teenage Idol", the former a reflection of his love of The Beach Boys.

In 1975 he released his only solo album, a collection of pop covers entitled Two Sides of the Moon. Although this featured Moon's singing, much drumming was left to other artists including Ringo Starr, session musicians Curly Smith and Jim Keltner and actor/musician Miguel Ferrer (Twin Peaks and Crossing Jordan). Moon played drums on only three tracks.

In late 1975, he played drums on the track "Bo Diddley Jam" on Bo Diddley's The 20th Anniversary of Rock 'n' Roll all-star album.

In 1971 he had a cameo role in Frank Zappa's farcical film 200 Motels. He acted in drag as a nun fearful of death from overdosing on pills. In 1973 he appeared in That'll Be the Day, playing J.D. Clover, the resident drummer at a holiday camp during the early days of British rock 'n' roll. Moon reprised the role for the sequel Stardust in 1974. The film co-starred Moon's long time friend Ringo Starr of the Beatles. He appeared as "Uncle Ernie" in Ken Russell's 1975 film adaptation of Tommy. In 1976, he covered the Beatles' "When I'm Sixty-Four" for the soundtrack of the documentary All This and World War II. He impersonated a camp fashion designer in "Sextette" (1978), starring Mae West. He was to have a part in Monty Python's Life of Brian and stayed in the Caribbean with the six Python members as they wrote the script. He died before filming. The published edition of the screenplay to Life of Brian is dedicated to Moon.

Moon once owned a hotel, The Crown and Cushion in Chipping Norton.

Death

Moon was Paul McCartney's guest at a film preview of The Buddy Holly Story on the evening of 6 September 1978. After dining with Paul and Linda McCartney, Moon and his girlfriend, Annette Walter-Lax, returned to a flat on loan from Harry Nilsson in Curzon Place, London (Near Shepherd Market), where Moon died of an overdose of Clomethiazole (Heminevrin), a medication he was taking as part of a programme to wean him off alcohol. The police investigation determined there were about 32 pills in his system, 26 of them undissolved. Moon died in the same room in which Cass Elliot of The Mamas & the Papas had died four years earlier.

On the audio DVD commentary to The Criterion Collection's release of the Monty Python film Life of Brian, Eric Idle talks about the dinner party. Idle relates that Moon was very excited about his upcoming role as a prophet in the movie. After launching into his speech for the film, Idle and Moon exchanged a "big, warm hug," with Idle commenting that "he was just such a wonderful enthusiast."

Moon died a couple of weeks after the release of Who Are You. On the album cover, Moon is seated on a chair back-to-front to hide the weight he gained over three years (as discussed in Tony Fletcher's book "Dear Boy"). The chair is labeled "NOT TO BE TAKEN AWAY."

Moon was cremated. His ashes were scattered in the Gardens of Remembrance at Golders Green Crematorium in London.

Events after his death

While Moon was alive, The Who performed with four members. Afterward, he was replaced by Small Faces/Faces drummer Kenney Jones and later Simon Phillips. The Who also added keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick to the live band. The Who's drum position is currently occupied by Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr. Starkey was taught by Moon and used to refer to him as "Uncle Keith".

Daltrey recorded a song, "Under a Raging Moon" as a tribute to Moon and the "middle bar" in the London Astoria is aptly named after him.

A biography was written about Moon by Tony Fletcher, entitled Dear Boy: The Life of Keith Moon. "Dear Boy" became a catchphrase of Moon's when he started affecting a pompous English accent around 1969, particularly when ordering drinks. In early 2006, Moon's signature Pictures of Lily drum kit was reissued by Premier Percussion under the name Spirit of Lily.

Moon's ex-wife, Kim, was married to Ian McLagan of The Faces in 1978, the year that Moon died. She was killed in a traffic accident near Austin, Texas on August 2, 2006.

Moon's daughter, Mandy, is married to a graphic artist. She has two daughters and lives in Southern California.

Daltrey is producing a biopic about Moon called See Me Feel Me: Keith Moon Naked for Your Pleasure, which will be released in 2009. Comedian Mike Myers will play the main role.

References

Moon: The Life and Death of a Rock Legend by Tony Fletcher

Anyway Anyhow Anywhere (Revised Edition): The Complete Chronicle of The Who 1958-1978 by Andrew Neill and Mathew Kent

External links

• thewho.net: Album Liner Notes and Song Information
• The Who Location Guide
• The Who Forum: Includes Keith Moon news,views and discussion.
• Punk in the Gutter: Discussion/News Repository Website about The Who, including a Keith Moon Appreciation Archive (registration required)
• The Who ("Towser") TV: Online Webcasts, including Moon footage
• Keith Moon's Place of death
• Profile for Keith Moon at Find A Grave
• [1] Photographic Homage to Keith Moon

• [2] Documentary on Keith Moon, Part 5
• [3] Documentary on Keith Moon, Part 6

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