Keith Moon was the drummer for The Who, a British rock band formed in 1964. He had serious drug addiction problems that ultimately killed him 1978.
By 1973, Moon's drug use was greatly impairing the effectiveness of The Who. At one concert in San Francisco, Moon overdosed and passed out. After punching him and giving him cold showers for half an hour while the audience waited for the concert to resume, the other band members managed to get him conscious. Then he slipped out again. Moon was out for the night.
This was a huge problem. The band had to have a drummer.
Lead singer Pete Townshend stepped up to the mic and addressed the audience:
“Can anybody play the drums? I mean someone good!”
20-year old Scot Halpin was in the audience. He could play the drums, though he hadn't in a year. But he would have to do.
For an evening, Halpin became a member of The Who. He had a brief moment of fame as news about his feat swept around the world. You can read about Halpin's experience at Dangeorus Minds and view his performance in the above video.
-via Jonah Goldberg