The Beatles Once Attracted a Legendary Drummer Who Wanted to Replace Ringo Starr

 Why Moon wanted to join The Beatles as a drummer has nothing to do with jealousy, but more to do with admiration. Moon had always been a fan, a friend, and an occasional collaborator who even offered backup vocals in their track “All You Need Is Love,” long before The Beatles’ breakup. As iconic and essential to rock music as Moon is, he would have never fit in with The Beatles.

The Beatles and The Who, although friendly, were also compared to each other by music fans. Both bands were on a trajectory to greatness, as The Who climbed the charts and England and worldwide descended into Beatlemania. However, while tension was well and truly alive in The Beatles, something even more violent was occurring in The Who.

Internal conflicts rocked his relationship with the band, and Moon grew frustrated with it, especially after he chased fellow member Pete Townshend with a knife. Moon was dealing with drug use during his time as a drummer in The Who, which contributed to the tension. Things came to a head when Roger Daltrey flushed his drugs down the toilet, prompting him to search for other bands to join.
Paul McCartney Turned Down Keith Moon’s Preposition

When Moon asked McCartney for a spot in the Fab Four, he politely turned him down as they were not looking for a new drummer. Starr was the perfect fit for The Beatles as he matched the sound and the aesthetic the group needed. Even when he was the first to leave The Beatles, he returned behind the drum kit to feed more Beatlemaniac fans with more classic rock songs that defined the genre. However, McCartney did point him to Starr’s direction to speak to him about the preposition, but whether that conversation was had is unknown.

Even after getting rejected by The Animals and The Beatles, Moon didn’t leave the band. He stayed and contributed to more of The Who’s greatest songs and classics, such as “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” as the band gained more popularity. Moon stayed in The Who as their drummer until his unexpected death in September 1978.
Keith Moon Was Essential to The Who, Just as Ringo Starr Was to The Beatles

The Who were not always the best of friends, even when tensions lessened. Still, they always came together to create classic hits, and continued as a band in Moon’s honor after he died of a drug overdose. Sadly, as for The Beatles, tensions continued to rise, which ultimately led to their breakup.

Source: collider.com/Teguan Harris