When Keith Moon passed away in 1978, The Who were faced with an impossible choice: Disband, which would have left their fans missing their music. Or, carry on, knowing that Moon left an impossible hole to fill.
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They decided to keep the band afloat, hiring veteran drummer Kenney Jones to take Moon’s place. Here’s how they came to that decision and what happened in the aftermath.
Replacing a Legend
Keith Moon died on September 7, 1978 of an accidental overdose of medication that had been prescribed to him to combat alcoholism. The Who had recently released the album Who Are You. The following day, Pete Townshend released a statement insisting that the band would keep going.
In interviews after the fact, Townshend claimed that he was actually considering bringing the band to a close before the tragedy. He changed his mind following Moon’s death, deciding that the others needed it to continue. But that would mean finding someone to replace Moon.
The band chose Kenney Jones, who had made his name as drummer for Small Faces and their Rod Stewart-led offshoot Faces. He ran in the same circles as members of The Who. Apparently, both Townshend and John Entwistle voted in favor of hiring Jones. Roger Daltrey felt that the band should have hired drummers on a project-by-project basis, but he was outvoted. As it would turn out, Daltrey never quite came around on Jones.
The New Who
Jones’ first show with the band came in May 1979. But the band stayed out of the recording studio for a few years. Townshend was struggling with personal problems and drug addiction at this time, while also putting focus on his solo career. All of which held back the band’s momentum.
In terms of drumming styles, Jones would always go about it in a different manner than Moon. The late drummer was known for his maximalist style, pounding away indiscriminately while the rest of the band worked around him. Jones was much more economical in his approach.
On top of that, Moon was a magnetic presence during The Who’s live shows, often stepping out from behind the kit to address the crowd and energize everyone with his comical antics. Jones was more of a keep-to-his-business type, which changed the entire dynamic of the band.
The Jones Years
The Who finally returned to the studio for the album Face Dances in 1981. That album included the hit single “You Better You Bet”, a song where Jones’ muscular style came to the forefront. They followed that up with the LP It’s Hard just a year later. But, as it turned out, that essentially ended the Kenney Jones era.
In 1983, Townshend announced he was leaving the group. Although that departure didn’t stick, The Who played only a couple of one-off shows (including a Live Aid reunion in 1985) over the next five years or so. When they got back to touring in 1989, Jones was replaced by Simon Phillips.
Roger Daltrey maintained his objection to Kenney Jones well after he’d left the band. While admitting that Jones was a fine drummer, Daltrey insisted that he wasn’t the right guy to lay down the foundation of The Who. Considering the massive impact left behind by Keith Moon, it’s doubtful that any drummer in the world would have been the right guy under those daunting circumstances.
Photo by David Thorpe/Shutterstock
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