The Who had total of three drummers, Doug Sandom, Keith Moon and Kenney Jones.
After the death of the group’s drummer Keith Moon in 1978 the band went on a hiatus after the release of the documentary ‘The Kids Are Alright’. In 1981 the Who released the album “Face Dances”, which featured Kenney Jones as the new drummer for the band.
Doug only played for two years while Moon and Jones stayed in the Who for over a decade.
Who was the “Who” first drummer?
Doug Sandom was the Who’s drummer from the start from the group’s inception in 1962 to 1964.
Though his bandmates were teens, Sandom had already reached the age of thirty. His wife opposed him staying out late at night and began causing problems within their marriage.
Band failed on the audition for Fontana Records in 1964. The producer, Chris Parmeinter expressed a dislike for Sandom’s drumming and said that “he did not like the way his sound was used.”
So, the band thought they have more chances to succeed without Sandom and decided to fire him. Doug gave a month notice and live the band in piece.
In 2014 he published autobiography “The Who Before the Who”.
Unfortunatelly he died on 27 February in 2019. He was 89 years old.
Keith Moon
The second and probably most memorable the Who drummer. He joined the band few months after Sandom left.
There is a funny story of how Keith joined the Who. After Sandom left they used a session drummer for a few months.
Keith would come to their gigs and approach them with confident adittude that he can play drums better thant their drummer. They finally let him try in the second part of the show.
He broke a pedal, two drum heads and left. They found him in a bar afterwards and aks him to quit his job and come to a gig with them.
He accepted and the rest is history.
Keith Moon died after taking too many clomethiazole tablets that were prescribed to him as a way of alchocol detoxication.
He died on the September 7th 1978.
Drumming style of Keith Moon
He took lessons from Carlo Little who played with Screaming Lord Sutch‘s at the time.
The Moon was influenced by jazz, American surf music and rhythm-and-blues. His early influences were guys like Hall Blaine, Gene Krupa, DJ Fontana, Tony Meehan.
He showed interest in jazz, motown and above all the Beach Boys.
Keith Moon’s unconventional style of drumming made him an icon in rock and roll. His manic mood swings, unpredictable playing speeds (he would play faster or slower depending on how he felt), and tendency to use two sets of tom-toms were all trademarks that helped define the genre we know today as “rock.”
“He wouldn’t always play across his kit,” said Pete Townsend about what makes Keith unique.
The Who bassist also added: “You feel like this guy has something else up his sleeve every time!”
Moon hated the drum solos and refuse to play them but what he didn’t refuse is to tear down the entire kit after every gig.
This was the Who trademark so to speak. First time this happened was by accident, when guitarist Pete Townsend broke down his guitar and decided to finish it.
Since then in become a tradition that band called “auto destructive art”.
Equipment
During much of 1964 and 1965, his setups consisted Ludwig drums. He began to endorse Premier Drums late in ’65 and never looked back!
He played Zildjian cymbals. In 1966 Moon incorporated larger kit with two bass drums and along with Ginger Baker he was able to take credits as the pioneer of double bass drumming.
During the 1960s, Moon began using timbales and gongs in his drumming which eventually became an integral part of his sound.
Who replaced Keith Moon as The Who drummer?
His names is Kenney Jones and he is the third drummer for the Who.
In November 1978, Jones was invited by guitarist Pete Townshend and manager Bill Curbishley to join The Who. So, he became the newest member of one of rock’s most famous bands replacing their original drummer Keith Moon who had died from a drug overdose just two months earlier!
He was well familiar friend, known for his band Small Faces. Thanks to this band Kenney was inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.
Does Kenny Jones still drum for The Who?
He quit playing for the Who in 1988 and was replaced for their reunion tour.
Kenney Jones reunited with The Who on 14 June 2014 at the Rock n Horsepower benefit concert held in his Hurtwood Polo Club.
It was reported that these performances were set up by Kenney to support Prostate Cancer UK, an organization he has been heavily invested and supportive of since its launch.
Why Kenney Jones left the Who?
Kenney was their buddy but from the beginning he wasn’t right replacement for the Moon. Acording to band they haven’t been sure they could ever replace Moon.
Kenney did show for the Live Eight gig in 1985 and once more in 1988 but when they wanted to go on the tour it was without Jones.
The band has never stated the reasons behind this decision.
Who played drums for The Who in 1989?
Simon Philips from Toto played drums on the Who reunion tour in 1989.
This was their 25th Anyversary tour called “The Kids Are Alright”.
The two shows at Sullivan Stadium in Foxborough Massachusetts have set a new record for all time sales with 100,000 tickets being sold within just eight hours. The record was previously held by U2 and David Bowie.