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Noteworthy Then

8/23/1946 Keith Moon is born.

Keith Moon, the amazing drummer for the Who that paid the price for being an epic party animal, entered this world on this day in 1946 in northwest London.  The flamboyantly energetic drummer's first instrument was the bugle, but he set that aside in favor of drums.  His role models on the skins were jazz greats Gene Krupa and Hal Blaine and early Elvis Presley stick man DJ Fontana.  Moon joined the Who just before the band recorded its first single in 1964.

 

As frenetic and unbridled off stage as he was on.  A hard partier and heavy drinker, Moon trashed many a hotel room and capped off a massive food fight on his birthday in 1967 at a Holdiay Inn in Flint, Michigan by driving a Lincoln Continental into the hotel's swimming pool.

 

After a number of health scares, Moon set out to overcome his alcohol addiction.  He was prescribed a sedative to ease withdrawal symptoms.  He passed away in his flat on September 6th, 1978 after ingesting more than two dozen of the pills after watching a preview of The Buddy Holly Story as a guest of Paul and Linda McCartney.

 

Other Noteworthy Classic Rock events on August 23 include...

 

1948 Faces, Who drummer Kenny Jones born.

 

1951 Target, Cobra, Survivor's lead singer Jimi Jamison born.

 

1961 Stone Temple Pilots guitarist Dean Deleo born. 

 

1962 John Lennon marries Cynthia Powell in Liverpool.

 

1963 Guitar instrumentalist Gary Hoey born. 

 

1966 Founding bassist Pete Quaife quits the Kinks.

 

1966 The Beatles play Shea Stadium.

 

1970 Jimi Hendrix performs in public for the final time when he guests during Eric Burdon's set at Ronnie Scotts in London. 

 

1970 Emerson Lake & Palmer debut in Portsmouth, UK. 

 

1977 T-Rex's Marc Bolan dies in a car accident.

 

1977 Linda Ronstadt releases Simple Dreams.

 

1980 The Talking Heads add Adrian Belew and Bernie Worrell.

 

1988 Bad Company releases Dangerous Age. 

1989 Ric Ocasek of the Cars marries Paulina Porizkova. 

 

1991 Dire Straits opens a reunion tour in Dublin.

 

1993 Grace Slick's home severely damaged after sparks from a welder ignite a fire.

 

1996 One millionth visitor to Rock Hall Of Fame in Cleveland is awarded 1965 Ford Mustang. 

 

1998 Mott the Hoople reunite to do a set at the Virgin Records store in London.

 

2005 Motley Crue's Vince Neil tears his calf muscle during a concert.

 

2007 Queen guitarist Brian May is awarded his doctorate in astrophysics from the London Imperial College.

 

2006 Georgia Music Hall of Fame inducts R.E.M.

 

2006 Guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd marries Mel Gibson's daughter, Hannah Gibson.

 

2013 Linda Ronstadt makes her Parkinson's disease status public in an AARP interview.