The 2 drummers that Keith Moon listed as some of his favorites

Keith Moon was the drummer of The Who from 1964 until his death in 1978, he was a crucial element of the band’s sound and is still remembered as one of the greatest drummers of all time. Even after more than four decades after his passing the musician continues to be a huge inspiration for artists all over the world.

Since his career was short compared to his bandmates, Moon didn’t had the chance to talk that much with the press but in 1972 he gave an interesting interview to Drum Magazine and even revealed which were two of his favorite drummers of all time. Rock and Roll Garage selected what the musician said about those artists and his connection with them.

The 2 drummers that Keith Moon listed as some of his favorites

Ringo Starr

“Ringo, whose drumming is incredible. His bass drum work is great,” Keith Moon told Drum Magazine. The two drummers were good friends and curiously it was Moon who inspired Ringo’s son Zak Starkey to become a drummer. Even though his father was Ringo, the drummer of the most successful band in the world, The Beatles, it was “uncle Keith”, who gave Starkey his first professional set of drums, which it was the white Premier drum kit that Moon used on his final tour with The Who in 1975 and 1976.

Starkey was only 13 when Moon died at the age of 32 in 1978. A few decades later, in 1996, he joined The Who and since ocuppies the post.

Talking with Modern Drummer in 2006, the musician said that Moon was his first big influence. “Keith Moon was my first big influence, definitely. I wanted to play the drums because of Keith. When I was very young there was music all around me in my parents’ house. You would go into the living room and find stacks and stacks of LPs. (…) When I was eight, I discovered The Who’s Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy. That turned everything on its head. It was so different and it sounded so alive. It was bouncy.”

Zak Starkey continued:

“Keith was like an uncle, really. He was one of my dad’s best friends. When my brother, sister, and I used to stay with my dad there, we would occasionally spend a few days at Keith’s house. Keith was the babysitter. We would just hang out and talk about anything, really. Girls, surfing, bands, drums. He was a really fantastic guy to hang out with. He wasn’t crazy in any way, except for that look in his eye. I was hanging out with my hero,” Zak Starkey said.

Curiously, in 1966 when things were not so good between Keith and The Who, he approached Paul McCartney asking if The Beatles would like to have him as a drummer. But as told by the The Who’s biography “Pretend You’re In War”, Paul told him that they weren’t looking for a drummer at the time.

Bob Henrit

“I think the drummer with Argent is very good, Bob Henrit,” Keith Moon told Drum Magazine. Henrit was also a good friend of Moon and they even had the opportunity to tour together went Argent performed with The Who on a couple occasions.

Before joining Argent, the drummer was a member of the praised British band Unit 2 + 4. Later on his carrer in the mid 80s until the late 90s he became a member of The Kinks. In an interview with Robert von Bernewitz in 2019, Henrit recalled that Moon used to live really close to his house. So they would often go out for a drink.

As a session drummer, Henrit worked on many solo albums done by famous lead singers. He was the drummer on Roger Daltrey‘s solo debut album “Daltrey” released in 1973. He also notably recorded with The Kinks’ guitarist and vocalist Ray Davies on his solo albums “Glamour” (1981) and “Chosen People” (1983).