It is one of the most famous stories from the wild early days of rock'n'roll.
A hotel in Flint, Michigan.
A birthday party.
A rock star completely out of control.
And finally, a Lincoln Continental allegedly ending up at the bottom of the hotel's swimming pool.
There is just one problem:
Nobody can say for certain whether it ever happened.
The man at the center of the story was Keith Moon, the legendary drummer of The Who.
On August 23, 1967, Moon celebrated his 21st birthday at the Holiday Inn in Flint during the band's first major American tour. And even back then, Moon was hardly known for quiet celebrations.
He had already been drinking heavily throughout the day and was reportedly extremely drunk before the concert.
After the show, the birthday party continued at the hotel.
And it quickly got out of control.
What began as a celebration turned into a massive food fight. Food was flying through the room, fire extinguishers were set off and hotel property was damaged. Moon even injured his mouth during the chaos and lost part of a tooth. He was later taken to a dentist, reportedly so intoxicated that he could not be given an anesthetic.
But then comes the most famous part of the story.
Moon later claimed that he had fled the hotel room wearing nothing but his underwear. Outside, he said, he found a brand-new Lincoln Continental.
He got inside.
Released the handbrake.
The car rolled forward, smashed through the barrier surrounding the swimming pool – and ended up in the water with Moon inside.
That is how Keith Moon himself described the incident in a 1972 interview with Rolling Stone magazine.
It sounds like the perfect rock'n'roll story.
Except that other people involved told a different story.
John Entwistle, Moon's bandmate, later insisted that the car-in-the-pool incident never happened. Other investigations also failed to find conclusive evidence. Some researchers have therefore suggested that Moon may have exaggerated the story or combined several different incidents into one legendary tale.
But there is a problem with that version too.
There were also people who claimed they actually saw the car.
Witness Peter Cavanaugh later said that he saw the vehicle partly in the pool. Another concertgoer from the time also claimed to have witnessed the incident.
So what is the truth?
Perhaps that is the truth:
We simply don't know.
What we do know is that Keith Moon's 21st birthday really did descend into chaos. There was significant property damage, a damaged tooth, police involvement and a hotel bill running into many thousands of dollars.
And perhaps that makes the story even better.
Because sometimes a rock legend doesn't need proof.
It only needs a rock star willing to tell the story himself.
Car in the pool – incredible.
Whether it really happened – still disputed.
And that is exactly why the story remains one of the most fascinating legends in rock history.
