Keith Moon, one of the great drummers in the annals of rock and roll history with his explosive and innovative backbeat for the original incarnation of The Who, died 35 years ago today on September 7, 1978 of a prescription drug overdose.

For Moon, it ended a life that was filled with what was basically a boilerplate for the excess that was surrounded by a glorious sense of attitudinal debauchery. Moon’s sex and wanton times, alcohol imbibing and drug ingesting manifested to the point of no return, was also filled with destructive behavior that included decimating hotel rooms and basically walking around and presenting himself and the world with an outgoing personality that definitely overshadowed the classic rock The Who was brewing up during his tenure with the band, but never surpassed it. Ultimately, it metaphorically caramelized and solidified an existence, albeit brief, of a man rightfully and ever so perceptively known affectionately as “Moon the Loon.”

Even though he’s been dead for 34 years, Keith Moon, the eccentric, devil-may-care wild man known as “Moon the Loon” who drummed for the famous British rock band The Who during their glory years, still makes news on par with his crazy persona.

The UK website The Guardian is reporting that organizers for the 2012 Olympics wanted Moon to play at the opening ceremony in London, where the games are to be held this Summer.

Unbelievably, especially in this information age we live in, nobody in those circles knew that Moon had died of a sedative overdose back in 1978.

The Who’s current manager, Bill Curbishley, told the Sunday Times in London that he was approached to see if Moon would be “available” to perform with the surviving members of The Who.

The Who, the 1960s rock legends, pretty much popularized the “rock opera” with their 1969 studio release Tommy, leading the way for Quadrophenia (The Who’s second rock opera), David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and even Jesus Christ Superstar.

From The Who’s concept album came the 1975 musical film Tommy, which starred Who leader singer Roger Daltrey as the title character, a traumatized young man who doesn’t hear or see or speak, but rises to fame and iconic status thanks to his prowess at pinball.

Now, Hulu has posted the film online for free viewing for people in the United States (there’s no embed is available, so head over to Hulu to watch it). It will only be available for the next five days, so watch it while you can.

Some of the actors — namely Oliver Reed as Tommy’s stepfather — pretty much butcher the vocals on what are really great Who songs. But, there are some standout performances overall, like Who drummer Keith Moon‘s portrayal of the perverted Uncle Ernie, Tina Turner as the drug-pushing Acid Queen, and Paul Nicholas as the torturous Cousin Kevin (who thinks of some nice games while the grown-ups have all gone away). There’s also a great musical performance by guitarist Eric Clapton, as well as one by Elton John, who plays Tommy’s pinball rival.