On This Day in 1978, One of Rock’s Most Important Drummers Died in the Same Room as Mama Cass After a Night Out With Paul McCartney

On this day (September 7) in 1978, Keith Moon, drummer for the Who, died of an accidental overdose in his London home at the age of 32. His cause of death was an accidental overdose of the sedative Heminevrin (clomethiazole). He was taking the medication to alleviate his alcohol withdrawals as he attempted to quit drinking. Interestingly, he was renting the same flat where Mama Cass of the Mamas & Papas died just four years earlier. She was also 32 years old.

Moon joined the Who in 1964, before they cut their first single. His drumming immediately stood out, which was unique in and of itself. At the time, drummers were strictly there to keep the beat. Moon’s style was much busier, making the drums a lead instrument on par with the guitar, with fills and cymbal crashes. He was also one of the first drummers in rock music to employ double bass drums. Generations of drummers have looked to Moon’s output for inspiration.

Moon’s destructive behavior was just as legendary as his drumming. According to the Who’s official website, “Keith was rock’s wildest character in the ’60s and ’70s, an unapologetic freewheeling hedonist whose lifestyle became synonymous with the mad, carefree image of the rock star at large.” He dropped cherry bombs into hotel toilets and reportedly drove a Lincoln into a hotel swimming pool. He also regularly destroyed his drum kit after concerts. In short, he made a name for himself outside of his position in the band.

Keith Moon Was Trying to Do Right When He Died

Keith Moon was a heavy drinker. By the time he died, his drinking had become a serious problem. Several instances, like the time in 1976 when he passed out behind his drums at the Boston Garden, marked his decline. The master drummer also had issues when working on Who Are You, his final album with the Who.

In the summer of 1978, Moon began working toward quitting alcohol. Part of his sobriety journey was a sedative to combat alcohol withdrawals. An accidental overdose of the drug ended his life.

[RELATED: Someone’s Last Words Don’t Always Summarize Their Entire Life Ethos, but Keith Moon’s Just Might]

The evening before he died, Moon and his girlfriend, Annette Walter-Lax, attended a preview screening of The Buddy Holly Story with Paul and Linda McCartney. When they returned to their flat, Moon watched a film and asked Walter-Lax to cook lamb cutlets. When she pushed back, he reportedly replied, “If you don’t like it, you can f**k off.” Those were his last words. When she came to check on him the next afternoon, he was dead.

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