Keith Moon's final hours on TV

Keith Moon's final hours are explored on January 22nd on the Biography channel's series Final 24, which is about the last 24 hours of different people's lives. The show "reveals hidden secrets, psychological flaws and untimely events that resulted in their untimely deaths."

The episode chronicles not only Moon's last days, but his lifetime of lunatic behavior both on and off the road with the Who.

Moon's longtime assistant and confidant Dougal Butler appears on the show, and says that when off the road Moon would spiral out of control: [ Click to listen if you have a backstage pass] "The problem that Keith couldn't handle, is fame. He was his own worst enemy because he wanted to work all the time. He didn't live a normal family life outside of rock and roll, even in his marriages, because he wanted to keep on rocking and rolling every day of his life. He thought it was a continuous thing every day -- which he tried to do. But in the end, that's what killed him."

Butler says that Moon's early death at the age of 32 has overshadowed the fact that he and the rest of the Who shared an infectious and brilliant sense of humor: [ Click to listen if you have a backstage pass] "They had a rapport between them and I wish I had a movie camera around them. Around Pete (Townshend) and Keith -- and also John (Entwistle), 'cause John had a very dark humor as well. And to see them three together was better than Monty Python. It was just funny. A very quick witted thing, you know that you think 'Jesus! Where do they think of that from?' And it was just -- they would have the whole road crew and everyone around them at the time in just fits of laughter. And they were great, great days."

Moon died on September 7th, 1978 after attending a preview of the movie The Buddy Holly Story thrown by Paul and Linda McCartney, on what would have been Buddy Holly's 38th birthday.

Mike Myers has signed on to portray Moon is the upcoming Who-sanctioned Moon biopic called See Me Feel Me: Keith Moon Naked For Your Pleasure. Filming begins later this year.

Final 24: Keith Moon premieres tonight (January 22nd) on the Biography channel. Check your local listings for stations and times.

In other Who-related news:

Pete Townshend joined Eels frontman Mark Everett onstage on January 17th at London's St. James's Church. Townshend took part in a portion of Everett's solo show by reading a portion from Everett's autobiography Things The Grandchildren Should Know.

Roger Daltrey is helping sponsor an American Idol-like competition to raise funds for his charity the Teenage Cancer Trust. Thenorthernecho.co.uk reported that the upcoming Music Means Life competitions will help fund the private charity, with the six best acts appearing at the final competition set for April 24th at the Rainton Arenain Durham City.

Daltrey explained the importance of a separate care facility for teenage cancer patients: "Teenage Cancer Trust units give our teenagers the moral support to help fight this terrible disease. We need more of them so that every teenager in the UK can have access to one."
Submit the above story to:

Del.icio.us   Digg   reddit   StumbleUpon   Facebook