Keith Moon “The Loon”, died a few weeks after the release of Who Are You in September 1978. Possessing a larger than life personality and proportionate capacity for crazed antics and gargantuan partying, Moon was only 32 when he died of an overdose of medication intended to wean him off alcohol. He earned his nickname through his off the rails yet somehow boyish love of destruction. Incidents included overloading a drum kit with explosives on the “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” (which started Pete Townsend’s tinnitus), filling a clear acrylic drum kit with goldfish, and driving a Lincoln Continental into a swimming pool. However, among his fans, Moon was idolized for his drumming ability rather than wild lifestyle. He was one of the first players to emphasize percussion rather than simply keep the backbeat. Tellingly, one of his childhood report cards noted “he has great ability, but must guard against a tendency to show off”. His need to “show off” was not only his undoing but something that made him an iconic drummer.

Pete Townsend, John Entwhistle and Roger Daltrey on Moon the Loon
With Steve Martin in a 1977 Rolling Stone TV Special
Baba O’Riley (live)
Drummer World profile on Keith Moon
NPR: Remembering The Who’s Keith Moon