Editing Keith Moon (section)

==Death==
[[File:MoonflatCurzonPlace.JPG|alt=Curzon Square, Mayfair, London|thumb|left|9 Curzon Square in 2012; Moon lived on the third floor (top left) in 1978.]]

In mid-1978, Moon moved into Flat 12, 9 [[Curzon Place]] (later Curzon Square), [[Shepherd Market]], [[Mayfair]], London, renting from [[Harry Nilsson]]. Singer [[Cass Elliot]] of [[the Mamas & the Papas]] had died there four years earlier, at the age of 32;<ref name="wilkes">{{cite news |last=Wilkes |first=Roger |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/4812977/Inside-story-9-Curzon-Place.html |title=Inside story: 9 Curzon Place |date=17 February 2001 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=29 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629215613/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/4812977/Inside-story-9-Curzon-Place.html |archive-date=29 June 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://shepherdmarket.co.uk/history.htm |title=Shepherd Market History |publisher=Shepherdmarket.co.uk |access-date=27 September 2011 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927235730/http://shepherdmarket.co.uk/history.htm |archive-date=27 September 2011 }}</ref> Nilsson was concerned about letting the flat to Moon, believing it was cursed. Townshend disagreed, assuring him that "lightning wouldn't strike the same place twice".{{sfn|Townshend|2012|p=268}}

After moving in, Moon began a prescribed course of Heminevrin ([[clomethiazole]], a [[sedative]]) to alleviate his [[Alcohol withdrawal syndrome|alcohol withdrawal]] symptoms. He wanted to get sober, but because of his fear of psychiatric hospitals, he wanted to do it at home. Clomethiazole is discouraged for unsupervised [[Alcohol detoxification|detoxification]] because of its addictive potential, its tendency to induce [[Drug tolerance|tolerance]], and its risk of death when mixed with alcohol.<ref>{{cite book |title=Meyler's Side Effects of Psychiatric Drugs |editor1-first=J K |editor1-last=Aronson |publisher=Elsevier |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-444-53266-4 |page=439}}</ref> The pills were prescribed by Geoffrey Dymond, a physician who was unaware of Moon's lifestyle. Dymond prescribed a bottle of 100 pills, instructing him to take one pill when he felt a craving for alcohol but not more than three pills per day.{{sfn|Fletcher|1998|p=524}}

By September 1978, Moon was having difficulty playing the drums, according to roadie Dave "Cy" Langston. After seeing Moon in the studio trying to overdub drums for ''The Kids Are Alright'', he said, "After two or three hours, he got more and more sluggish, he could barely hold a drum stick."{{sfn|Neill|Kent|2009|p=292}}

[[File:Keith Moon plaque (Golders Green Crematorium).jpg|alt=Keith Moon's plaque at Golders Green Crematorium|thumb|upright|Moon's plaque at [[Golders Green Crematorium]], London]]

On 6 September, Moon and Walter-Lax were guests of [[Paul McCartney|Paul]] and [[Linda McCartney]] at a preview of a film, ''[[The Buddy Holly Story]]''. After dining with the McCartneys at Peppermint Park in [[Covent Garden]], Moon and Walter-Lax returned to their flat. He watched a film (''[[The Abominable Dr. Phibes]]''), and asked Walter-Lax to cook him [[Lamb and mutton|lamb cutlets]] (which Walter-Lax had stated was his favourite meal).<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Trapp |first=Philip |date=14 June 2023 |title=What 10 Famous Rock Stars Had for Their Last Meals |url=https://loudwire.com/rock-stars-last-meals/ |access-date=15 November 2023 |website=Loudwire |language=en |archive-date=15 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115043912/https://loudwire.com/rock-stars-last-meals/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Keith Moon: The Final 24 (Full Documentary) |date=29 October 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxtp4xV1xMw |access-date=15 November 2023 |language=en |archive-date=15 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115044004/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxtp4xV1xMw |url-status=live }}</ref> When she objected, Moon replied, "If you don't like it, you can fuck off!" These were his [[last words]].<ref name="wilkes"/> Moon then took some clomethiazole tablets. When Walter-Lax checked on him the following afternoon, she discovered he was dead.{{sfn|Fletcher|1998|p=517}}

Curbishley phoned the flat at around 5:00{{spaces}}p.m. looking for Moon, and Dymond gave him the news. Curbishley told Townshend, who informed the rest of the band. Entwistle was giving an interview to two journalists when he was interrupted by a phone call with the news of Moon's death. When asked about the band's future plans, Entwistle burst into tears and quickly ended the interview.{{sfn|Fletcher|1998|p=518}}

Moon's death came shortly after the release of their eighth studio album ''[[Who Are You]]''. On the album cover, he is straddling a chair to hide his weight gain; the words "Not to be taken away" are on the back of the chair.{{sfn|Fletcher|1998|p=504}} Police determined that there were 32 clomethiazole pills in Moon's system. Six were digested; the other 26 were undigested when he died.{{sfn|Fletcher|1998|p=524}} [[Max Glatt]], an authority on alcoholism, wrote in ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' that Moon should never have been given the drug.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/keith-moon-1947-1978-19781019 |title=Keith Moon: 1947(''sic'')-1978 |first=Dave|last=Marsh|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=19 October 1978 |access-date=23 September 2013}}</ref> Moon was cremated on 13 September 1978 at [[Golders Green Crematorium]] in London, and his ashes were scattered in its Gardens of Remembrance.{{sfn|Fletcher|1998|p=522}}

Townshend persuaded Daltrey and Entwistle to carry on touring as the Who, although he later said that it was his means of coping with Moon's death and "completely irrational, bordering on insane". [[AllMusic]]'s Bruce Eder said, "When Keith Moon died, the Who carried on and were far more competent and reliable musically, but that wasn't what sold rock records."<ref name="eder"/>{{sfn|Townshend|2012|p=268}} In November 1978, [[Faces (band)|Faces]] drummer [[Kenney Jones]] joined the Who. Townshend later said that Jones "was one of the few British drummers who could fill Keith's shoes";{{sfn|Townshend|2012|p=287}} Daltrey was less enthusiastic, saying that Jones "wasn't the right style".{{sfn|Townshend|2012|p=288}} Keyboardist [[John Bundrick|John "Rabbit" Bundrick]], who had rehearsed with Moon earlier in the year,{{sfn|Townshend|2012|p=264}} joined the live band as an unofficial member.{{sfn|Atkins|2000|p=27}}{{sfn|Townshend|2012|p=289}}

Jones left the Who in 1988,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/kenney-jones-mn0000068047/biography |title=Kenny Jones – biography |first=Greg |last=Prato |website=Allmusic |access-date=30 August 2013 |archive-date=5 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005084921/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/kenney-jones-mn0000068047/biography |url-status=live }}</ref> and drummer [[Simon Phillips (drummer)|Simon Phillips]] (who praised Moon's ability to drum over the backing track of "Baba O'Riley") toured with the band the following year.{{sfn|Chapman|1998|p=79}} Since 1996, the Who's drummer has been Ringo Starr's son [[Zak Starkey]] who, as a child, had been given a drum kit by Moon (whom he called "Uncle Keith").<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thewholive.net/the-who/|title=The Who Concert Guide|access-date=5 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thewholive.net/tour-list/index.php?GroupID=1&Year=1996|title=The Who 1996|access-date=5 October 2016|archive-date=6 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006153254/http://www.thewholive.net/tour-list/index.php?GroupID=1&Year=1996|url-status=live}}</ref> Starkey had previously toured in 1994 with Roger Daltrey, and contributed to solo studio albums by Daltrey, and John Entwistle.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1631463/who-drummer-zak-starkey-holds-down-super-bowl-halftime/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150517004457/http://www.mtv.com/news/1631463/who-drummer-zak-starkey-holds-down-super-bowl-halftime/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 May 2015 |title=Who Drummer Zak Starkey Holds Down Super Bowl Halftime |publisher=www.mtv.com |access-date=6 October 2016}}</ref>

The [[2012 Summer Olympics|London 2012 Summer Olympic Committee]] contacted Curbishley about Moon performing at the games, evidently unaware he had been dead for 34 years. In an interview with ''[[The Times]]'' Curbishley quipped, "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'&nbsp;... If they have a round table, some glasses and candles, we might contact him."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/us-news-blog/2012/apr/13/keith-moon-london-olympics-organisers |title=London 2012 organisers wanted Keith Moon to play at Olympics ceremony |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=13 April 2012 |access-date=26 July 2013}}</ref>