David Gilmour

David Jon Gilmour was born on 6 March 1946 in Cambridge, England. He has three siblings: Peter, Mark and Catharine. His father, Douglas Gilmour, was a senior lecturer in zoology at the University of Cambridge, and his mother, Sylvia (née Wilson), was a trained teacher who later worked as a film editor for the BBC. At the time of Gilmour's birth, the family lived in Trumpington, Cambridgeshire; after several relocations they moved to nearby Grantchester. Gilmour's parents encouraged him to pursue his interest in music, and in 1954 he bought his first single, Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock". His enthusiasm was stirred by Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" (released January 1956), and "Bye Bye Love" (1957) by the Everly Brothers piqued his interest in the guitar. Gilmour borrowed a guitar from a neighbour, but never gave it back. Soon afterwards, he started teaching himself to play using a book and record set by Pete Seeger. At age 11, Gilmour began attending The Perse School on Hills Road, Cambridge, which he did not enjoy. There, he met two future members of Pink Floyd: Syd Barrett and Roger Waters, both of whom attended Cambridgeshire High School for Boys on the same road. In 1962, Gilmour began studying A-Level modern languages at the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology. Despite not finishing the course, he eventually learned to speak fluent French. Barrett was also a student at the college, and the two spent their lunchtimes together practising guitar. Later that year, Gilmour joined the blues rock band Jokers Wild. They recorded a one-sided album and a single at Regent Sound Studio, in Denmark Street, west London, but only 50 copies of each were made. At age 19, Gilmour hitchhiked to Saint-Tropez, France. Barrett and his friends also drove there and met up with him before they were arrested for busking. Gilmour and Barrett later travelled to Paris, where they camped outside the city for a week and visited the Louvre. During this period, Gilmour worked as the driver and assistant for the fashion designer Ossie Clark. Gilmour travelled to France again in mid-1967 with Rick Wills and Willie Wilson, formerly of Jokers Wild. They performed under the name Flowers, then Bullitt, but were not commercially successful. After hearing their covers of chart hits, club owners were reluctant to pay them, and soon after their arrival in Paris, thieves stole their equipment. Also while in France, Gilmour contributed lead vocals to two songs on the soundtrack of the film Two Weeks in September, starring Brigitte Bardot. When he returned with Bullitt to England later that year, they could not afford petrol and had to push their bus off the ferry onto the landing. ==Career==

Pink Floyd In 1967, Pink Floyd, composed of Gilmour's Cambridge schoolmates Barrett and Waters with Nick Mason and Richard Wright, released their debut studio album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. That May, Gilmour briefly returned to London in search of new equipment. During his stay, he watched Pink Floyd record "See Emily Play" and was shocked to find that Barrett, who was suffering mental health problems, did not seem to recognise him. in 1973 In December 1967, after Gilmour had returned to England, he accepted an invitation to join Pink Floyd to cover for the increasingly erratic Barrett. They initially intended to continue with Barrett as a non-performing songwriter. One of the band's business partners, Peter Jenner, said the plan was to have Gilmour "cover for Barrett's eccentricities". By March 1968, working with Barrett had become too difficult and he agreed to leave the band. Mason later said: "After Syd, Dave was the difference between light and dark. He was absolutely into form and shape and he introduced that into the wilder numbers we'd created. We became far less difficult to enjoy, I think." In 1970, Gilmour attended the Isle of Wight Festival and assisted in a live mix of a Jimi Hendrix performance. In the 1970s, Gilmour received a copy of a demo tape by the teenage songwriter Kate Bush from Ricky Hopper, a mutual friend of both families. Impressed, Gilmour paid for Bush, then 16, to record three professional demo tracks to present to record labels. The tape was produced by Gilmour's friend Andrew Powell, who went on to produce Bush's first two studio albums, and the sound engineer Geoff Emerick. Gilmour arranged for EMI executive Terry Slater to hear the tape, and he signed her. Gilmour is credited as the executive producer on two tracks on Bush's debut studio album, The Kick Inside (1978), including her second single "The Man with the Child in His Eyes". He performed backing vocals on "Pull Out the Pin" on her fourth studio album, The Dreaming (1982), and the 1985 Grace Jones album Slave to the Rhythm. Gilmour also played guitar on Paul McCartney's 1984 hit single No More Lonely Nights, on the title track of Supertramp's 1985 album Brother Where You Bound and on three tracks of the 1986 album Persona by the classical guitarist Liona Boyd. Leading Pink Floyd In 1985, Waters declared that Pink Floyd were "a spent force creatively" and attempted to dissolve the band. Gilmour and Mason announced that they intended to continue without him. Waters resigned in 1987, leaving Gilmour as the band leader. In 1986, Gilmour purchased the houseboat Astoria, moored it on the River Thames near Hampton Court, London, and converted it into a recording studio. He produced the Pink Floyd studio album A Momentary Lapse of Reason in 1987, with contributions from Mason and Wright.'' In March 1987, Gilmour played guitar for Kate Bush's performance of "Running Up That Hill" at the Secret Policeman's Third Ball. 2000s: Pink Floyd reunion and On an Island In 2001 and 2002, Gilmour performed six acoustic solo concerts in London and Paris, along with a small band and choir, which was documented on the In Concert release. On 24 September 2004, he performed a three-song set at the Strat Pack concert at London's Wembley Arena, marking the 50th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster guitar. On 2 July 2005, Pink Floyd reunited with Waters to perform at Live 8. The performance caused a sales increase of Pink Floyd's compilation album Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd (2001). Gilmour donated his profits to charities that reflect the goals of Live 8, saying: "Though the main objective has been to raise consciousness and put pressure on the G8 leaders, I will not profit from the concert. This is money that should be used to save lives." , 2006 In 2006, Gilmour said that Pink Floyd would likely never tour or write material again: "I think enough is enough. I am 60 years old. I don't have the will to work as much any more. Pink Floyd was an important part in my life, I have had a wonderful time, but it's over. For me it's much less complicated to work alone." On 6 March, Gilmour's 60th birthday, he released his third solo album, On an Island. It featured guest musicians including Wright and lyrics by Gilmour's wife, the writer Polly Samson. It debuted at number 1 on the UK Albums Chart and became Gilmour's first solo album to enter the top ten in the US, reaching number six on the Billboard 200. On 21 September 2011 On an Island was certified gold in Canada, with sales of more than 50,000 copies. Gilmour toured Europe, US and Canada in May 2006, with a band including Wright and the Pink Floyd collaborators Dick Parry, Guy Pratt, and Jon Carin. A DVD, Remember That Night – Live at the Royal Albert Hall, was released on 17 September 2007. For the final show, Gilmour performed with the 38-piece string section of the Polish Baltic Philharmonic orchestra. It was released as Live in Gdańsk (2008). In December 2006, Gilmour released a tribute to Barrett, who died that year, in the form of his own version of Pink Floyd's first single, "Arnold Layne". Recorded live at London's Royal Albert Hall, it featured versions of the song performed by Wright and David Bowie. It reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. In early 2007, Gilmour reconvened his touring band and spent a week recording in a barn in his farm. Some of the recordings were released on his later solo albums. On 25 May 2009, Gilmour participated in a concert at the Union Chapel in Islington, London, with the Malian musicians Amadou & Mariam. The concert was part of the Hidden Gigs campaign against hidden homelessness, organised by the charity Crisis. On 4 July, Gilmour joined his friend Jeff Beck onstage at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Gilmour and Beck traded solos on "Jerusalem" and closed the show with "Hi Ho Silver Lining". In August 2009, Gilmour released an online single, "Chicago – Change the World", to promote awareness for Gary McKinnon, who was accused of computer hacking. A cover of the Graham Nash song "Chicago", it featured MicKinon, Chrissie Hynde and Bob Geldof and was produced by the longtime Pink Floyd collaborator Chris Thomas. 2010s: Reunion with Waters and Rattle that Lock (left) at the O2, London, during The Wall Live, 12 May 2011 On 11 July 2010, Gilmour performed for the charity Hoping Foundation with Waters in Oxfordshire, England. According to onlookers, it seemed that Gilmour and Waters had ended their feud, laughing and joking with their partners. On 12 May 2011, Gilmour made a surprise performing appearance during "Comfortably Numb" with Waters at the O2, London and, with Nick Mason, played with the rest of the band on "Outside the Wall" at the conclusion of the show. That October, Gilmour released an album with the electronic duo the Orb, Metallic Spheres. Pitchfork wrote that Gilmour "sweeps in and out on guitar, dropping little shiver-inducing melodic runs like it's no big deal. Though his playing here meanders by design, Gilmour sounds neither lazy nor indulgent, more like a virtuoso who doesn't want to actually seem like he's sleepwalking through his performance." Gilmour and Mason revisited recordings made with Wright during the Division Bell sessions to create a new Pink Floyd album, The Endless River, released on 7 November 2014.'''' Gilmour said it would be Pink Floyd's last album: "I think we have successfully commandeered the best of what there is ... It's a shame, but this is the end." There was no supporting tour, as Gilmour felt it was impossible without Wright. In August 2015, Gilmour reiterated that Pink Floyd were "done" and that to reunite without Wright would be wrong. In September 2015, Gilmour released his fourth solo album, Rattle That Lock. On 14 November, he was the subject of a BBC Two documentary, David Gilmour: Wider Horizons. On 13 September 2017, Gilmour's live album and film Live at Pompeii, which documents the two shows he performed on 7 and 8 July 2016 at the Amphitheatre of Pompeii, were shown at selected cinemas. The album was released on 29 September 2017 and reached number three on the UK Albums Chart. To celebrate the event, Mayor Ferdinando Uliano made Gilmour an honorary citizen of Pompeii. Waters and Gilmour continued to quarrel, arguing over subjects including album reissues and the use of the Pink Floyd website and social media channels. Mason, who remains close to both, said in 2018 that Waters did not respect Gilmour, as that Waters "feels that writing is everything, and that guitar playing and the singing are something that, I won't say anyone can do, but that everything should be judged on the writing rather than the playing". In July, he released "Yes, I Have Ghosts", his first single since 2015. Its lyrics were written by Polly Samson and features his daughter Romany making her recording debut on backing vocals and harp. In 2021, Rolling Stone noted that Gilmour and Waters had "hit yet another low point in their relationship". In early 2023, Gilmour's wife, Polly Samson, wrote on Twitter that Waters was antisemitic and "a lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, sick-with-envy megalomaniac". Gilmour responded to the tweet on Twitter: "Every word demonstrably true." In April 2022, Gilmour and Mason reformed Pink Floyd to release the song "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!" in protest of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It samples a performance of the 1914 Ukrainian anthem "Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow" performed by the Ukrainian musician Andriy Khlyvnyuk. Gilmour said the song was a "one-off for Pink Floyd". In 2024, Gilmour contributed guitar to a new version of Mark Knopfler's "Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero" in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. On 6 September, he released his fifth solo album, Luck and Strange. It was recorded over five months in Brighton and London with the producer Charlie Andrew. Gilmour said Andrew challenged him musically as he "has a wonderful lack of knowledge or respect for this past of mine". Samson wrote the majority of the lyrics, which she said reflected themes of mortality and ageing. It became Gilmour's third album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart. That month, he began a tour for Luck and Strange, with performances in London, Rome, Los Angeles and New York. He replaced some musicians in his touring band, saying he wanted to use more creative musicians and avoid "sticking quite so slavishly to the original records". He planned to record another album with the same musicians soon after completing the tour. A concert film of the Luck and Strange tour, Live at the Circus Maximus, Rome, was released in Imax theatres in September, followed by digital and home media releases in October. == Artistry ==

Gilmour credits guitarists such as Pete Seeger, Lead Belly, John Fahey, Gilmour's lead guitar style is characterised by blues-influenced phrasing, expressive note bends, and sustain. The Times wrote in 2025, "In an era of showboating, Gilmour sounded like no one else: his playing was all about tone, texture and a kind of languid grandeur." In 2006, Gilmour said, "[My] fingers make a distinctive sound... [they] aren't very fast, but I think I am instantly recognisable." The Pink Floyd technician Phil Taylor said, "It really is just his fingers, his vibrato, his choice of notes and how he sets his effects ... In reality, no matter how well you duplicate the equipment, you will never be able to duplicate the personality." The author Mike Cormack wrote that Gilmour's playing from The Dark Side of the Moon onwards "defines the sound of Pink Floyd". He cited Gilmour's third solo in "Dogs" as "perhaps the finest in his entire career, a masterpiece of phrasing, spacing, tone and articulation", and said the second solo in "Comfortably Numb" was "an utter master at work, leaving space, repeating and building on licks to give a sense of structure, not overplaying, building to a shrieking climax, and then fading out while leaving the listener wanting more". Gilmour also plays bass, keyboards, banjo, lap steel, mandolin, harmonica, drums, and saxophone. Gilmour said he played bass on some Pink Floyd tracks, such as the fretless bass on "Hey You", as he could do it more quickly than Waters; he said that Waters would thank him for "winning him bass-playing polls". Guitars For Gilmour's 21st birthday, in March 1967, his parents gave him his first Fender guitar, a white Telecaster with a white pickguard and a rosewood fretboard. He used this guitar when he joined Pink Floyd in 1968, with one of Barrett's Telecasters as a spare. The Black Strat " on display at the Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains exhibition. Gilmour used the Black Strat, a Fender Stratocaster, in most Pink Floyd concerts and for every Pink Floyd studio album recorded between 1970 and 1983. Gilmour bought it at Manny's Music in New York City in 1970, after Pink Floyd's US tour was cancelled due to the theft of their equipment in New Orleans. It originally had a rosewood fretboard and a white pickguard and underwent a number of modifications, finishing with a black pickguard and maple neck. It was auctioned for charity in 2019 for $3.9 million. It sold again in 2026 for ; both sales made it the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction at that time. Fender Black Strat Signature Stratocaster In November 2006, Fender Custom Shop announced two reproductions of Gilmour's Black Strat for release on 22 September 2008. Phil Taylor, Gilmour's guitar technician, supervised this release and has written a book on the history of this guitar. The release date was chosen to coincide with the release of Gilmour's Live in Gdańsk album. Both guitars are based on extensive measurements of the original instrument, each featuring varying degrees of wear. The most expensive is the David Gilmour Relic Stratocaster which features the closest copy of wear on the original guitar. A pristine copy of the guitar is also made, the David Gilmour NOS Stratocaster. The 0001 Strat The 0001 Strat is a Fender Stratocaster with a white body, maple neck, three-way pick up selector and a gold anodised pickguard and gold-plated hardware. Seymour Duncan said it was a "partscaster", as he assembled it from two different guitars. The model was used as a spare and for slide guitar in subsequent years. In 2019, the 0001 Strat was sold at auction for $1,815,000, setting a new world auction record for a Stratocaster. Gilmour also owns an early 1954 Stratocaster, believed to predate Fender's commercial release of the model. Other electric guitars Along with the Fender models, Gilmour has also used a Gibson Les Paul goldtop model with P-90 pick-ups during recording sessions for The Wall and A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Gilmour also plays a Gretsch Duo-Jet, a Gretsch White Falcon, and a "White Penguin". He played a Bill Lewis 24-fret guitar during the Meddle and Dark Side of the Moon recording sessions, and a Steinberger GL model which was his main guitar during A Momentary Lapse of Reason recording sessions. Acoustic Gilmour has used acoustic guitars including a Gibson Chet Atkins classical model, and a Gibson J-200 Celebrity, acquired from John Illsley of Dire Straits. == Legacy and impact ==

According to MusicRadar, Gilmour is "a household name among the classic rock crowd, and for a lot of younger guitar fans he's the only 1970s guitarist that matters. For many he's the missing link between Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen." In 1996, Gilmour was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Pink Floyd. He has been ranked one of the greatest guitarists of all time by publications including Rolling Stone and The Daily Telegraph. In January 2007, Guitar World readers voted Gilmour's solos for "Comfortably Numb", "Time" and "Money" among the top 100 greatest guitar solos. He was voted the 36th-greatest rock singer by Planet Rock listeners in 2009. Rolling Stone named Gilmour the 14th-greatest guitarist of all time in 2011 and the 28th-greatest guitarist in 2023. Gilmour was cited by the Marillion guitarist Steve Rothery as one of his three main influences. John Mitchell, the guitarist of bands including It Bites and Arena, also cited Gilmour as an influence. In 2013, Gary Kemp, the guitarist and songwriter of Spandau Ballet and a member of Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, argued that Gilmour's work on The Dark Side of the Moon "must make him the best guitar player in recent history". ==Awards and honours==

Gilmour was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2003 Birthday Honours, "for services to music". The award was presented to him at Buckingham Palace, on 7 November that year. On 22 May 2008, he won the 2008 Ivor Novello Lifetime Contribution Award, recognising his excellence in music writing. Later that year, he was recognised for his outstanding contribution to music by the Q Awards. He dedicated his award to the Pink Floyd keyboardist, Richard Wright, who died in September 2008. ==Charity work==

Gilmour has supported charities including Oxfam, the European Union Mental Health and Illness Association, Greenpeace, Amnesty International, In May 2003, Gilmour sold his house in Little Venice to the ninth Earl Spencer and donated the proceeds worth £3.6 million to Crisis to help fund a housing project for the homeless. He has been named a vice-president of the organisation. He donated £25,000 to the Save the Rhino foundation in exchange for Douglas Adams's name suggestion for the album that became The Division Bell. On 20 June 2019, Gilmour auctioned 120 of his guitars for charity, at Christie's in New York, including his Black Strat, his #0001 and early 1954 Stratocasters, and his 1955 Les Paul. The Black Strat sold for $3,975,000, making it the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction. The auction raised $21,490,750, with the proceeds going to the environmentalist charity ClientEarth. ==Personal life==

On 7 July 1975, Gilmour married Virginia "Ginger" Hasenbein, an American model and artist. The couple have four children. In 1994, Gilmour married the English writer Polly Samson, who has written lyrics for many of his songs, including some on Pink Floyd albums. Gilmour and Samson have four children. The eldest, Charlie (born 1989) was adopted by Gilmour; his biological father is Samson's previous partner, Heathcote Williams. In August 2014, Gilmour was one of 200 public figures to sign a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the UK in the Scottish independence referendum. Gilmour endorsed the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in the 2017 UK general election. He tweeted: "I'm voting Labour because I believe in social equality." Gilmour is an atheist. Gilmour is an experienced pilot and aviation enthusiast. Under the aegis of his company, Intrepid Aviation, According to the Sunday Times Rich List 2018, Gilmour's net worth is £115 million. He owns a home near the village of Wisborough Green, Sussex. In 2015, Gilmour and Samson purchased Medina House, a derelict bathhouse in Brighton and Hove, and had it redeveloped. Gilmour also spends time at his recording studio houseboat, Astoria, near Hampton Court Palace. ==Discography==

Studio albums • David Gilmour (1978) • About Face (1984) • On an Island (2006) • Rattle That Lock (2015) • Luck and Strange (2024) ==Tours==

• About Face Tour (1984) • On an Island Tour (2006) • Rattle That Lock Tour (2015–2016) • Luck and Strange (2024) ==See also==