Forgive 2012 Olympics organizers for wanting to get the most bang for their buck. Having already secured the services of surviving Who members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, London officials made a special request: Could Keith Moon sit in?
Of course, Daltrey and Townshend still tour as the Who. But Keith Moon has been dead for 34 years, having passed at just 32 after ingesting an accidental overdose of prescription medicine.
Moon played on each of the Who releases from the 1964 single “Zoot Suit” through to 1978’s Who Are You, released just three weeks before his death. Since, the Who used Kenney Jones — set for induction as part of the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class as a member of the Faces — as well as Simon Phillips, Zak Starkey, among others, on drums.
Still, Moon’s reputation for drumming dramatics continues: Just last year, readers placed him at No. 2 on the Rolling Stone magazine list of best drummers of all time. Daltrey was also said to be producing a biopic about Moon, called “See Me Feel Me: Keith Moon Naked for Your Pleasure.”
None of it is bringing Keith Moon back, though.
So, the Who’s long-time manager Bill Curbishley was left to break the bad news to Olympics organizers: “I emailed back saying Keith now resides in Golders Green crematorium, having lived up to the Who’s anthemic line ‘I hope I die before I get old,'” Curbishley told The Times. “If they have a round table, some glasses and candles, we might contact him.”
If Moonie can’t do it , someone ought to direct the organizers to Bonzo’s house. Man – who can believe people are that out of touch?
Although I guess it can happen to anyone; I myself was quite upset last week when I found out JFK got shot.