Keith Who? English Heritage snubs Moon

Thirty years after his death at 32 from a drugs overdose, Keith Moon (pictured), legendary drummer for The Who, has been snubbed by English Heritage, who are refusing to honour him with one of its famous blue plaque tributes because they feel it's too early to make an assessment of his contribution to rock music.

Moon's name had been placed on a list of possibles. However, the English
Heritage selection panel felt that his worthiness for the honour - the distinctive blue plaques appear on the facades of London buildings where famous people have lived or worked ­ - had not yet been proven. It concluded: "Further time should pass so he can be considered alongside his contemporaries."

This has not gone down well with his fans, among them Alan Lewis, the editor of Record Collector magazine, who feels English Heritage's reasons for turning Moon down are spurious. "It's 40 years since his finest hours. How much more time do they need? They are also inconsistent: a plaque to Hendrix was unveiled several years ago."