11/14/2024
Keith Moon, the drummer for The Who, once drove a car into a pool—in Flint of all places.
Moon had a reputation for wild, unpredictable behavior, but this particular stunt stands out. Keith Moon’s most infamous and chaotic pranks, involving a wild night on his 21st birthday. Held at the Holiday Inn in Flint, Michigan, the event quickly became a legendary example of Moon's rock-and-roll antics. Before the night culminated in the car-in-pool stunt, Moon had already caused mayhem—diving into swimming pools from rooftops and blowing up toilets. The night began with a food fight sparked by Moon flicking cake at others, escalating into a full-blown cake war.
The climax of the evening came when Moon allegedly drove a Lincoln Continental into the hotel’s swimming pool. His version of the story includes him sitting in the sinking car, recalling his knowledge of physics to wait for the pressure to equalize before escaping. Eyewitnesses vaguely remember the car in the pool, though Moon’s bandmates are divided on the details—Roger Daltrey vaguely recalls it, while John Entwistle insists Moon couldn’t even drive.
The night took another turn when Moon, in a drunken stupor, was involved in a st******se prank, which led to a police officer drawing a revolver on him. In his attempt to flee, Moon slipped on cake, knocking out his front teeth. The aftermath of this debauchery cost The Who $50,000 in damages. Despite the wild details, the truth of the car-in-pool remains a bit hazy, but it stands as a quintessential Keith Moon moment—unpredictable, larger-than-life, and filled with absurdity.
