Remembering the Madness of Keith Moon

Today marks 44 years since Keith Moon passed away all the way back in 1978.  

Keith John Moon born in Wembley, England was an amazing percussionist that scored hit records throughout the 60’s and 70’s, amazing everyone in his path with complex drum patterns that in tandem with Pete Townshend’s writing, paved the way an imaginative pallet of the human condition.     

On top of all that, everyone in his inner circle knew how crazy and out of hand Moon could get, and the rest of the world had a pretty good idea from on-stage performances, to headlines in their local and national papers. He had a titan-sized appetite for drugs and alcohol and it only fueled the amount of destruction that followed him.  

First is on The Smothers Brothers TV show in the 1960’s, The Who had a slot on the show to play “I Can See For Miles” and “My Generation”. During dress rehearsals he planned to rig the drum kit with a minor charge of explosives for affect after the performance. It was later said that Moon got one of the roadies to rig the kit up with ten times the normal charge according to loudsound.com and set it off resulting in a bigger explosion, injury to Moon and hearing loss in Pete Townshend. Townshend would say this became a problem in later years.  

Second is on national TV with Steve Martin mere months before his passing, as a part of a TV special you see Moon DESTROY a hotel room as Steve Martin describes what’s happening behind him. One can tell it’s a joke by what's happening, but it’s merely a carachure of the antics the late rocker was known for. 

If he were alive today, he would be at the ripe old age of 76, and probably be as crazy as ever.  

According to Wikipedia, Moon passed away September 7th, 1978 from an accidental overdose of a medicine trying to treat his alcoholism.

Rest In Power, Keith Moon.