This is an accepted version of this page David Jon Gilmour (/ˈɡɪlmɔːr/ GHIL-mor; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who is a member of the rock band Pink Floyd.

[2] Following the departure of Roger Waters in 1985, Pink Floyd continued under Gilmour's leadership and released the studio albums A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987), The Division Bell (1994) and The Endless River (2014).

[6] 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.

[11] While there, however, he met two classmates who would later become the future members of Pink Floyd: Syd Barrett and Roger Waters, both of whom attended Cambridgeshire High School for Boys also on the same road.

[12] In 1962, Gilmour began studying A-Level modern languages at the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology,[11] but despite not finishing the course, he eventually learned to speak fluent French.

[16] 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.

During his stay, he watched Pink Floyd record "See Emily Play" and was shocked to find that Barrett did not seem to recognise him after beginning to suffer mental health problems.

[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).

[31] This negative atmosphere led Gilmour to produce his second solo studio album, About Face, in 1984.,[29] which he used to express his feelings about a range of topics, from his relationship with Waters to the murder of John Lennon.

[33] When he returned from touring, Gilmour played guitar with a range of artists and produced the Dream Academy, including their US top-ten hit "Life in a Northern Town" (1986).

[29] In 1985, Gilmour played on Bryan Ferry's sixth solo album, Boys and Girls, and on the song "Is Your Love Strong Enough" for the US release of the Ridley Scott film Legend (1985).

[29] In December 1999, Gilmour played guitar, alongside Mick Green, Ian Paice, Pete Wingfield, and Chris Hall, for Paul McCartney, at a concert at the Cavern Club, in Liverpool, England.

[49] 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.

[53] 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".

In August 2009, Gilmour released an online single, "Chicago – Change the World", to promote awareness for Gary McKinnon, who was accused of computer hacking.

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.

"[61] 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.

[73] 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] 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".

[84] Gilmour credits guitarists such as Pete Seeger,[88] Lead Belly,[88] Jeff Beck,[88] Eric Clapton,[88] Jimi Hendrix,[88] Joni Mitchell,[89] John Fahey,[89] Roy Buchanan,[89] and Hank Marvin of the Shadows[90] as influences.

"[90] The MusicRader writer Billy Saefong wrote that Gilmour "isn't as flashy as Jimi Hendrix or Jimmy Page on the stage, but his guitar work outshines most for emotion.

[107] 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".

[116] 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.

Originally purchased from a pawn shop while Gilmour was in Seattle in 1970, the Jedson was used during recording of "One of These Days" from Meddle and "Breathe" and "The Great Gig in the Sky" from Dark Side of the Moon.

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.

[131] Gilmour has supported charities including Oxfam, the European Union Mental Health and Illness Association, Greenpeace, Amnesty International,[29] the Lung Foundation, Nordoff-Robbins music therapy,[29] Teenage Cancer Trust, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

[136] Since 1994, Gilmour has been married to the writer Polly Samson, an English novelist and journalist, who has written lyrics for many of his songs, including Pink Floyd albums.

Gabriel performed piano on the song "In Any Tongue" on Gilmour's fourth solo studio album, Rattle That Lock (2015), making his recording debut.

[144] 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.