 Moon suffered a number of setbacks during the 1970s , most notably the accidental death of chauffeur Neil Boland and the breakdown of his marriage . He became addicted to alcohol , particularly brandy and champagne , and acquired a reputation for decadence and dark humour ; his nickname was " Moon the Loon . " After moving to Los Angeles with personal assistant Peter " Dougal " Butler during the mid @-@ 1970s , Moon recorded his only solo album , the poorly received Two Sides of the Moon . While touring with the Who , on several occasions he passed out on stage and was hospitalised . By their final tour with him in 1976 , and particularly during production of The Kids Are Alright and Who Are You , the drummer 's deterioration was evident . Moon moved back to London in 1978 , dying in September of that year from an overdose of <unk> , a drug intended to treat or prevent symptoms of alcohol withdrawal . 
