Keith Moon
b. 23 August 1947, Wembley, London, England, d. 7 September 1978. As the unpredictable, madcap drummer in the Who, Keith Moon cultivated a reputation as one of rock's great characters. His devil-may-care propulsiveness was always apparent in a drumming technique which eschewed conventional rhythm and goaded fellow instrumentalists into equally powerhouse retorts. His talent enhances the cream of the Who's output, including The Ox (1965), I Can See For Miles (1967) and Won't Get Fooled Again (1971) while his quirky compositions for the group have included I Need You, Waspman, Cobwebs And Strange and Tommy's Holiday Camp. A life-long fan of surf music, Moon also inspired the Beach Boys/ Jan And Dean selections on the 1966 EP READY STEADY WHO. 
This particular fascination was also apparent on the drummer's lone solo album, TWO SIDES OF THE MOON, which included a version of Brian Wilson's Don't Worry Baby. The set featured material by John Lennon, Harry Nilsson and the Who, but a supporting cast drawn from the Los Angeles music fraternity failed to conceal it's self-indulgence. Its release emphasized the euphemistic ‘rock ‘n’ roll life-style’ in which Moon was now trapped, and having established a reputation for unconventional behaviour, he now felt compelled to live up to it. Tales of destruction were legendary, but Moon was now increasingly debilitated by drug and alcohol abuse, and his professional life inevitably suffered. Indeed Music Must Change, a track on WHO ARE YOU (1978), was left without a drum track when he was unable to hold the required beat. ‘I'm still the best Keith Moon-style drummer in the world’ he defiantly proclaimed, but the failure doubtless hurt. Sadly, the album was to be the last to feature Moon, who died in September 1978 as a result of an overdose of prescription drugs. Admired among both the rock and jazz fields, his talent was bound to his extrovert personality and the sound of the Who has been appreciably different without him. Since his death his standing as a musician has increased and many feel that like Jimi Hendrix, Moon was unique in his chosen field.