David Jon Gilmour (/ˈɡɪlmɔːr/GHIL-mor; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who is a member of the rock bandPink Floyd. He joined in 1967, shortly before the departure of the founder memberSyd Barrett.[1] By the early 1980s, Pink Floyd had become one of the highest-selling and most acclaimed acts in music history.[2] Following the departure ofRoger Waters in 1985, Pink Floyd continued under Gilmour's leadership and released the studio albumsA Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987),The Division Bell (1994) andThe Endless River (2014).
Gilmour has released five solo studio albums:David Gilmour (1978),About Face (1984),On an Island (2006),Rattle That Lock (2015) andLuck and Strange (2024). He has achieved three number-one solo albums on theUK Albums Chart, and six with Pink Floyd.[3] He produced two albums bythe Dream Academy, and is credited for bringing the singer-songwriterKate Bush to public attention, paying for her early recordings and helping her find a record contract.
David Jon Gilmour was born on 6 March 1946 inCambridge, England.[5] He has three siblings: Peter, Mark and Catharine.[6] His father, Douglas Gilmour, was a senior lecturer inzoology at theUniversity of Cambridge, and his mother, Sylvia (née Wilson), was a trained teacher who later worked as a film editor for theBBC.[7] At the time of Gilmour's birth, the family lived inTrumpington, Cambridgeshire; after several relocations they moved to nearbyGrantchester.[8]
In 1962, Gilmour began studying A-Level modern languages at theCambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology,[11] but despite not finishing the course, he eventually learned to speak fluent French.[11] Barrett was also a student at the college, and the two spent their lunchtimes together practising guitar.[11] Later that year, Gilmour joined theblues rock bandJokers Wild. They recorded a one-sided album and a single at Regent Sound Studio, inDenmark Street, west London, but only 50 copies of each were made.[11]
At age 19, Gilmour hitchhiked toSaint-Tropez, France. Barrett and his friends also drove there and met up with him before they were arrested forbusking.[13] Gilmour and Barrett later travelled to Paris, where they camped outside the city for a week and visited theLouvre.[14] During this period, Gilmour worked as the driver and assistant for the fashion designerOssie Clark.[15]
Gilmour travelled to France again in mid-1967 withRick Wills andWillie 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.[16] Also while in France, Gilmour contributed lead vocals to two songs on the soundtrack of the filmTwo Weeks in September, starringBrigitte Bardot.[7] 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.[16]
In 1967,Pink Floyd, composed of Gilmour's Cambridge schoolmates Barrett and Waters withNick Mason andRichard Wright, released their debut studio album,The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.[17] 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.[18]
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.[19] One of the band's business partners,Peter Jenner, said the plan was to have Gilmour "cover for Barrett's eccentricities".[20] By March 1968, working with Barrett had become too difficult and he agreed to leave the band.[21] 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."[22] In 1970, Gilmour attended theIsle of Wight Festival and assisted in a live mix of aJimi Hendrix performance.[23]
Gilmour performing with Pink Floyd in the mid-1970s
In the 1970s, Gilmour received a copy of a demo tape by the teenage songwriterKate 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.[24][25] The tape was produced by Gilmour's friendAndrew Powell, who went on to produce Bush's first two studio albums, and the sound engineerGeoff Emerick.[26] Gilmour arranged forEMI executive Terry Slater to hear the tape,[27] and he signed her.[28] 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".[29] He performed backing vocals on "Pull Out the Pin" on her fourth studio album,The Dreaming (1982),[29] and played guitar on "Love and Anger" and "Rocket's Tail" on her sixth,The Sensual World (1989).[29] In 1975, Gilmour played onRoy Harper's albumHQ (1975).[29]
By the late 1970s, Gilmour had begun to think that his musical talents were being underused by Pink Floyd. In 1978, he released his first solo album,David Gilmour, which showcased his guitar playing and songwriting. Music written during the finishing stages of the album, but too late to be used, became"Comfortably Numb" on the Pink Floyd albumThe Wall (1979).[30]
The relationship between Gilmour and Waters deteriorated during the making of theWall film and the albumThe Final Cut (1983).[31] This negative atmosphere led Gilmour to produce his second solo studio album,About Face (1984),[29] which he used to express his feelings about a range of topics, from his relationship with Waters to themurder of John Lennon.[29] Gilmour toured Europe and the US, supported by theTelevision Personalities, who were dropped after the singer, Dan Treacy, revealed Barrett's address on stage.[32] Mason also made a guest appearance on the UK leg of the tour, which despite some cancellations eventually turned a profit.[33] When he returned from touring, Gilmour played guitar with a range of artists and producedthe Dream Academy, including their US top-ten hit "Life in a Northern Town" (1986).[34]
Gilmour in 1984
Gilmour co-wrote five songs on Roy Harper's albumThe Unknown Soldier (1980), including "Short and Sweet", which was first recorded for Gilmour's first solo album.[29] In April 1984, Harper made a surprise guest appearance at Gilmour'sHammersmith Odeon gig to sing "Short and Sweet".[29] This was included in Gilmour'sLive 1984 concert film. Harper also provided backing vocals on Gilmour's second solo studio albumAbout Face (1984).[29]
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 houseboatAstoria, moored it on theRiver Thames nearHampton Court, London, and converted it into a recording studio.[40] He produced the Pink Floyd studio albumA Momentary Lapse of Reason in 1987, with contributions from Mason and Wright.[29] Gilmour believed Pink Floyd had become too driven by lyrics under Waters' leadership, and attempted to "restore the balance" of music and lyrics.[41] In March 1987, Gilmour played guitar for Kate Bush's performance of "Running Up That Hill" atthe Secret Policeman's Third Ball.[29]
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 theIn Concert release.[43] On 24 September 2004, he performed a three-song set atthe Strat Pack concert at London'sWembley Arena, marking the 50th anniversary of theFender Stratocaster.[44]
On 2 July 2005, Pink Floyd reunited with Waters to perform atLive 8. The performance caused a sales increase of Pink Floyd's compilation albumEchoes: The Best of Pink Floyd (2001).[45] 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 theG8 leaders, I will not profit from the concert. This is money that should be used to save lives."[45] He called upon all Live 8 artists to donate their extra revenue to Live 8 fundraising. After the concert, Pink Floyd turned down an offer to tour the US for £150 million.[46]
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."[47]
On 6 March, Gilmour's 60th birthday, he released his third solo album,On an Island.[48] It featured guest musicians including Wright and lyrics by Gilmour's wife, the writerPolly Samson.[49] It debuted at number 1 on theUK Albums Chart[50] and became Gilmour's first solo album to enter the top ten in the US, reaching number six on theBillboard 200.[51] On 21 September 2011On an Island wascertified gold in Canada, with sales of more than 50,000 copies.[52]
Gilmour toured Europe, US and Canada in May 2006, with a band including Wright and the Pink Floyd collaboratorsDick Parry,Guy Pratt, andJon Carin.[53] A DVD,Remember That Night – Live at the Royal Albert Hall, was released on 17 September 2007.[54] For the final show, Gilmour performed with the 38-piece string section of thePolish Baltic Philharmonic orchestra.[55] It was released asLive in Gdańsk (2008).[56]
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".[57] Recorded live at London's Royal Albert Hall, it featured versions of the song performed by Wright andDavid Bowie.[57] It reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart.[58] 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.[59]
On 25 May 2009, Gilmour participated in a concert at theUnion Chapel in Islington, London, with the Malian musiciansAmadou & Mariam. The concert was part of the Hidden Gigs campaign against hidden homelessness, organised by the charityCrisis.[60] On 4 July, Gilmour joined his friendJeff Beck onstage at theRoyal 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 forGary McKinnon, who was accused of computer hacking. A cover of theGraham Nash song "Chicago", it featured MicKinon,Chrissie Hynde andBob Geldof and was produced by the longtime Pink Floyd collaborator Chris Thomas.[61]
On 11 July 2010, Gilmour performed for the charity Hoping Foundation with Waters in Oxfordshire, England.[62] 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 atthe O2, London and, with Nick Mason, played with the rest of the band on "Outside the Wall" at the conclusion of the show.[63]
That October, Gilmour released an album with the electronic duothe 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."[64]
Gilmour and Mason revisited recordings made with Wright during theDivision Bellsessions to create a new Pink Floyd album,The Endless River, released on 7 November 2014.[65] 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."[66] There was no supporting tour, as Gilmour felt it was impossible without Wright.[67][68] In August 2015, Gilmour reiterated that Pink Floyd were "done" and that to reunite without Wright would be wrong.[69]
In September 2015, Gilmour released his fourth solo album,Rattle That Lock.[70] On 14 November, he was the subject of aBBC Two documentary,David Gilmour: Wider Horizons.[71] On 13 September 2017, Gilmour's live album and filmLive at Pompeii, which documents the two shows he performed on 7 and 8 July 2016 at theAmphitheatre of Pompeii, were shown at selected cinemas.[72] The album was released on 29 September 2017[73][74] and reached number three on theUK Albums Chart.[75] To celebrate the event, Mayor Ferdinando Uliano made Gilmour an honorary citizen of Pompeii.[76]
Waters and Gilmour continued to quarrel, arguing over subjects including album reissues and the use of the Pink Floyd website and social media channels.[77] 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".[77]
From April 2020, Gilmour appeared in a series oflivestreams with his family, performing songs by Barrett andLeonard Cohen.[78] 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 andharp.[79]
In 2021,Rolling Stone noted that Gilmour and Waters had "hit yet another low point in their relationship".[80] 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."[81] In April 2022, Gilmour and Mason reformed Pink Floyd to release the song "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!" in protest of theRussian invasion of Ukraine. It samples a performance of the 1914 Ukrainian anthem "Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow" performed by the Ukrainian musicianAndriy Khlyvnyuk.[82] Gilmour said the song was a "one-off for Pink Floyd".[83]
In 2024, Gilmour contributed guitar to a new version ofMark Knopfler's "Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero" in aid of theTeenage Cancer Trust.[84] On 6 September, he released his fifth solo album,Luck and Strange.[85] It was recorded over five months inBrighton and London with the producerCharlie Andrew. Gilmour said Andrew challenged him musically as he "has a wonderful lack of knowledge or respect for this past of mine".[86] Samson wrote the majority of the lyrics, which she said reflected themes of mortality and ageing.[86] The album features keyboards recorded by Wright in 2007, lyrics by Gilmour's son Charlie, and harp and vocals by his daughter Romany.[86] Gilmour feltLuck and Strange was his best work sinceThe Dark Side of the Moon.[87] It became Gilmour's third album to reach number one on theUK Albums Chart.[3]
Gilmour contributed guitar to a cover of "Comfortably Numb" by the American metal bandBody Count, released in September 2024.[88] That month, he begana tour forLuck and Strange, with performances in London, Rome, Los Angeles and New York.[89] 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".[90] He planned to record another album with the same musicians soon after completing the tour.[87] In July 2025, Gilmour received the O2 Silver Clef award, presented by theRadiohead guitaristJonny Greenwood.[91] A concert film of theLuck and Strange tour,Live at the Circus Maximus, Rome, was released inImax theatres in September, followed by digital and home media releases in October.[92]
Gilmour performing inBuenos Aires,Argentina, during theRattle That Lock Tour, 19 December 2015. Gilmour is playing the "Workmate", a well-worn Fender Esquire, with an added neck pick-up.[96]
Gilmour'slead guitar style is characterised byblues-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."[97] In 2006, Gilmour said, "[My] fingers make a distinctive sound... [they] aren't very fast, but I think I am instantly recognisable."[95] The Pink Floyd technician Phil Taylor said, "It really is just his fingers, hisvibrato, 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."[98]
The author Mike Cormack wrote that Gilmour's playing fromThe Dark Side of the Moon onwards "defines the sound of Pink Floyd".[99] He cited Gilmour's third solo in "Dogs" as "perhaps the finest in his entire career, a masterpiece of phrasing, spacing, tone and articulation",[100] 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".[101]
Gilmour also plays bass, keyboards,banjo,lap steel, mandolin, harmonica, drums, and saxophone.[102] Gilmour said he played bass on some Pink Floyd tracks, such as thefretless 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".[103]
For Gilmour's 21st birthday, in March 1967, his parents gave him his firstFender guitar, a whiteTelecaster with a whitepickguard and a rosewoodfretboard. He used this guitar when he joined Pink Floyd in 1968, with one of Barrett's Telecasters as a spare.[104]
Gilmour used the Black Strat, aFender Stratocaster, in most Pink Floyd concerts and for every Pink Floyd studio album recorded between 1970 and 1983. Gilmour bought it atManny'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.[106] It originally had a rosewood fretboard and a white pickguard and underwent a number of modifications, finishing with a black pickguard and maple neck.[107] It was auctioned for charity in 2019 for $3.9 million,[108] making it one of the most expensive guitars ever sold at auction.
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.[109] The release date was chosen to coincide with the release of Gilmour'sLive in Gdańsk album.[110] 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.[111]
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.[112][113] Seymour Duncan said it was a "partscaster", as he assembled it from two different guitars.[114] 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.[115] Gilmour also owns an early 1954 Stratocaster, believed to predate Fender's commercial release of the model.[116]
Along with the Fender models, Gilmour has also used aGibson Les Paul goldtop model with P-90 pick-ups during recording sessions forThe Wall andA Momentary Lapse of Reason.[117] Gilmour also plays aGretsch Duo-Jet, aGretsch White Falcon, and a "White Penguin". He played a Bill Lewis 24-fret guitar during theMeddle andDark Side of the Moon recording sessions, and aSteinberger GL model which was his main guitar duringA Momentary Lapse of Reason recording sessions.[118]
Gilmour has used acoustic guitars including aGibson Chet Atkins classical model, and aGibson J-200 Celebrity,[119] acquired fromJohn Illsley ofDire Straits.[116] Gilmour used severalOvation models including a Custom Legend 1619-4, and a Custom Legend 1613-4 nylon string guitar, both during theWall recording sessions.[120]Martin models used include a D-35, purchased in New York in 1971,[116] and a D12-28 12-string.[120]
Gilmour used a pair of Jedsonsteel guitars and aFender 1000 pedal steel frequently in the early 1970s. Originally purchased from a pawn shop while Gilmour was inSeattle in 1970, the Jedson was used during recording of"One of These Days" fromMeddle and "Breathe" and "The Great Gig in the Sky" fromDark Side of the Moon.[121] Gilmour also owns aFender Deluxelap steel, which he used duringThe Division Bell tour in 1994.[119] Gilmour also owns a Champ lap steel model. Along with the Fender steel models Gilmour has also used: a Gibson EH150, and two Jedson models: one red (1977-tuned D-G-D-G-B-E for "Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts 6–9", 1987–2006: Tuned E-B-E-G-B-E for "High Hopes") and one blonde. He also uses a ZB steel model.[120] Gilmour played pedal steel guitar on the albumBlue Pine Trees byUnicorn.
In 2004EMG, Inc. released the DG20 Signatureguitar pick-up kit for the Fender Stratocaster. The set included three active pick-ups, an EXG Guitar Expander for increased treble and bass frequencies, and a SPC presence control to enhance earthiness and mid-range. The system came pre-wired on a custom 11-hole white pearl pickguard with white knobs.[122]
According toMusicRadar, 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."[95] TheMusicRader writer Billy Saefong wrote that Gilmour "isn't as flashy as Jimi Hendrix orJimmy Page on the stage, but his guitar work outshines most for emotion."[123]
In 1996, Gilmour was inducted into theRock 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 includingRolling Stone[124][125] andThe Daily Telegraph.[126] In January 2007,Guitar World readers voted Gilmour's solos for "Comfortably Numb", "Time" and "Money" among the top 100 greatest guitar solos.[127] He was voted the 36th-greatest rock singer byPlanet Rock listeners in 2009.[128]Rolling Stone named Gilmour the 14th-greatest guitarist of all time in 2011[129] and the 28th-greatest guitarist in 2023.[130]
On 20 June 2019, Gilmour auctioned 120 of his guitars for charity, atChristie's in New York, including hisBlack Strat, his #0001 and early 1954Stratocasters, and his 1955Les 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 charityClientEarth.[108]
On 7 July 1975, Gilmour marriedVirginia "Ginger" Hasenbein, an American model and artist.[140] The couple had four children.[141] In 1994, Gilmour married the English writerPolly Samson, who has written lyrics for many of his songs, including some on Pink Floyd albums. Gilmour and Samson have four children.[142][143][144]
Gilmour is an experienced pilot and aviation enthusiast. Under the aegis of his company,Intrepid Aviation,[29] he amassed a collection of historical aircraft. He later sold the company, which he had started as a hobby, feeling that it was becoming too commercial for him to enjoy.[152]
^Kruse, Holly (November 2000)."Kate Bush: Enigmatic chanteuse as pop pioneer".Soundscapes.info, Online Journal on Media Culture.3.ISSN1567-7745.Archived from the original on 1 January 2009. Retrieved29 June 2017., Originally published in"Kate Bush: Enigmatic chanteuse as pop pioneer".Tracking: Popular Music Studies.1 (1). 1988.
^Resnicoff, Matt (August 1992). "Careful With That Axe — David Gilmour Chops Through Pink Floyd's Past To Build A New Future".Musician.
^Taylor, Phil (2008).Pink Floyd The Black Strat: A history of David Gilmour's black Fender Stratocaster (2nd ed.). New York: Hal Leonard Books. pp. 8–9.ISBN978-1-4234-4559-3.
^Taylor, Phil (2008).Pink Floyd The Black Strat: A history of David Gilmour's black Fender Stratocaster (2nd ed.). New York: Hal Leonard Books. p. 7.ISBN978-1-4234-4559-3.
^Taylor, Phil (2008).Pink Floyd The Black Strat: A history of David Gilmour's black Fender Stratocaster (2nd ed.). New York: Hal Leonard Books.ISBN978-1-4234-4559-3.
^"The theme of the new album – those Pink Floyd habits die hard – is mortality. One song, 'This Heaven', reflects Gilmour's atheism".The Sunday Telegraph (London), 28 May 2006, Section Seven, p. 8.
Fitch, Vernon; Mahon, Richard (2006).Comfortably Numb: A History of "The Wall" – Pink Floyd 1978–1981 (1st ed.). PFA Publishing, Inc.ISBN978-0-9777366-0-7.
Mabbett, Andy (2010).Pink Floyd – The Music and the Mystery (1st UK paperback ed.). Omnibus Press.ISBN978-1-84938-370-7.
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