The legendary drummer who almost took Ringo Starr’s place in The Beatles
As far as the 1960s are concerned, from a British music perspective, it goes without saying that The Beatles are the main point of conversation. The formula of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr was so unshakable that they probably could never have achieved so much if anyone else were to squeeze on to the bill. But despite this, there was one drummer who had Starr’s hot seat set in his sights.
It would be remiss to claim that the Fabs are the only band worth mentioning from the period because this is, of course, far from the case. However, in that vein, it still seems hard to imagine that lineup being anything but Lennon, McCartney, Harrison… and Keith Moon? Yes, it was The Who’s prolific stick-smith who attempted to alter the Liverpudlian legends’ magic formation – but not purely out of jealousy, only because his drummer’s intuition bound him closer to Starr than most.
While this is unfortunately not the making of a supergroup of dreams, it is true that even with The Who’s own seismic success, Moon still clamoured for a seat at The Beatles’ table – and specifically Starr’s. Particularly when the relations between Moon and Pete Townshend had hit rock bottom in 1966, the former took this as the prime opportunity to chance his arm at taking the leap, only to have his offer turned down by McCartney.
Yet despite his unsuccessful attempt at taking Starr’s place, and the eventual repairing of the voids between The Who, the drummers of both bands still enjoyed a close relationship with one another. There was a natural drummer’s instinct that immediately made the two harmonious in their orbit and form and unbreakable bond, even though their playing styles and approach to rock were entire universes apart.
This was more than evident to all those within both Moon and Starr’s inner circles, not least the latter’s then-girlfriend, Nancy Andrews, who said: “His [Moon’s] interaction with Ringo was incredibly intimate. I’ve noticed over the years that drummers have a shorthand language, and they don’t need to complete sentences to convey their thoughts. Ringo and Keith could say two or three words to each other and there would be an instant understanding.”
Thus, with the two deeply intertwined, a friendship formed that proved vital to the pair right up until Moon’s untimely death in 1978. But his influence on Starr’s personal life was such that it had a transcendental effect on the generations that came after them, with the Beatle’s son, Zak Starkey, replacing Moon behind the drum kit so that The Who could continue their rock and roll trajectory even after his passing.
So, although they never managed to achieve their desired supergroup in conventional form, the friendship between Moon and Starr was one that transpired to be highly significant not just in a personal sense to their own lives, but to the entire musical world at large, with Starkey channelling all that history. It is true that moons and stars typically go hand in hand, but it turns out that in human rock god form, they were an even better match.
