Keith Moon, Dead For 34 Years, Invited To Play Olympics Closing Ceremonies

Well, it would have been interesting to see the London Olympics organizers pull this one off:

Organizers of the London Olympics approached the Who’s manager to inquire about having Keith Moon play at an Olympics event despite the drummer being dead for nearly 34 years, the Sunday Times reports.

“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’,” the band’s longtime manager, Bill Curbishley, told the Times. “If they have a round table, some glasses and candles, we might contact him.”

Moon died in 1978 at the age of 32 from an an accidental overdose of prescription pills.

No word on whether they’ve heard back on the invitation for Queen Victoria to light the Olympic torch.

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Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Hey Norm says:

    Well…34 years later he is still the greatest rock and roll drummer…so at least they have excellent judgment.
    That guy was an amazing. To say unique and innovative would be a gross understatement.

  2. Herb says:

    Keith Moon will never die!

    @Hey Norm: He was pretty good, but in the intervening 34 years there have been others that are…dare I say….better.

    I think I’d rather have Dave Lombardo or Abe Cunningham in my band. (Yes, we’re a metal band.)

  3. Hey Norm says:

    @ Herb….
    Sorry…they are great in their own right…but in the end…wanna-be’s.
    My guess…they would tell you so themselves.

  4. tps says:

    Just after Moonie passed Bill Curbishley said that he didn’t know where Moonie might be but he was sure he would get a bill for the damages. The line “I live in hotels/Tear out the walls.” in Joe Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good” is a referance to when Moonie used the fire ax he kept in his luggage to chopped through the wall into John Entwistle’s hotel room from his. He was lonely….

    Moonie was “The best, Keith Moon-style, drummer in the world.” So say’ith Keith!

  5. Herb says:

    @Hey Norm:

    “My guess…they would tell you so themselves.”

    Yeah, only cuz to do otherwise (blasphemy!) would anger the drum gods. Me, I play guitar so I don’t fear their wrath. Come take my rhythm. I never had any to begin with.

  6. al-Ameda says:

    Open the Games with a video of The Who performing “Magic Bus” from the Live at Leeds album, and close the Games with a video of “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” and everyone goes home happy.

    Moon is tremendous on those.

  7. Mario Mirarchi says:

    I understand the games are being held in honor of the Relief of Khartoum.