Keith Moon is a legendary drummer from an equally legendary band – The Who. His influence (as well as the entire band’s) on their peers, as well as musicians from younger generations, cannot be overestimated. To say that everything has been said and written about his drumming style, excess, and premature, drug and alcohol-related death would not be far from the truth. One might say that taking this case out is just another example of the media having nothing to write about in the midst of the summer season. However, we are of the opinion that since Keith Moon‘s bandmate and friend, Roger Daltrey, has recently spoken about the late drummer for an American radio station, which has been quoted by the English newspaper Daily Mirror, he must have done it for a reason. Let us quote his words, then.
Pictured from left to right: Roger Daltrey, Keith Moon, Pete Townshend (bassist John Entwistle remains out of frame).
Keith Moon as seen by Roger Daltrey
“In my own opinion, I think Keith was slightly autistic and he obviously had an addictive personality. I’ve never known anyone take the amount of booze and drugs Moonie did. People take one ark bomber and they would be high as a kite, he would take a handful and be high for days.”
“The memorable one was when he took a monkey tranquilliser [as a result, Keith Moon passed out on stage, during a concert with The Who – Vik]. He was out for 24 hours and, as this drug left him, the next day we had to push him around in a wheelchair.”
“It used to destroy him when he did it. He would be upset when he let us down and incredibly unhappy. We talked to him, tried everything. We used to get p***ed at him because we cared about him and saw the inevitability of what was going to happen. Every facet of his personality was way up there – he was the most loving, caring person, but he could be hateful and spiteful. He was like fireworks.”
Forcing an addict to go to rehab was no option, though: “Ultimately, it is down to them – they have to want to do it.”
Keith Moon died on September 7, 1978, at the age of 32. The tragic event was caused by an overdose of Clomethiazole, which is a med supposed to reduce alcohol craving. Moon took 32 pills and washed them down with alcohol.
The entire article can be found HERE.
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