Biography

David Gilmour

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David Jon Gilmour was born on 6th March, 1946, in Grantchester Meadows, Cambridge. As the lead guitarist of Pink Floyd, he is by many considered one of the most influential guitarists on the rock stage. Right up to "The Dark Side of The Moon", Dave wrote his own songs, but from then up to "The Final Cut", Roger Waters wrote almost all the lyrics. Dave made up for it by producing some excellent guitar work, and production work on all those albums, most notably on the songs Shine On You Crazy Diamond (from "Wish You Were Here") and Comfortably Numb (from "The Wall"). He also did a large amount of the vocals. In the early 90s Gilmour divorced his wife Ginger. He now lives with his girl friend Polly Samson, a journalist who also contributed to some of The Division Bell's lyrics. He is a neighbour to his friend and band mate Nick Mason in Maida Vale, London and has a fully equipped recording studio, The Astoria, on his houseboat on Thames. He also enjoys flying his planes and owns the Intrepid Aviation Company collection of classic aircraft. Among great friends he counted comedy sci-fi author Douglas Adams, who died on May 11, 2001 from a heart attack while working out in a gym in Santa Barbara, California.
- IMDb mini biography by: Jenz Kjellberg (dukedunstable@yahoo.se)

Helped to launch the career of singer / songwriter Kate Bush.
Regards "Wish You Were Here" as his favorite Pink Floyd album and "Shine On, You Crazy Diamond" as his favorite Pink Floyd song.
He worked as a model before joining Pink Floyd.
Lists Jimi Hendrix as a major influence. When he saw Hendrix perform at a London nightclub in 1966, he said that nobody who saw the performance that night left the club not thinking that Hendrix would go all the way to the top.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of Pink Floyd) in 1996.

[about the Pink Floyd reunion for Live 8 (2005)] Any squabbles Roger (Roger Waters) and I have had in the past are so petty in this context.
[about the feud with Roger Waters] I'm not very good at holding grudges for very long, but he's done some terrible things.
[on Live 8 (2005)] Like most people I want to do everything I can to persuade the G8 leaders to make huge commitments to the relief of poverty and increased aid to the third world. It's crazy that America gives such a paltry percentage of its GNP to the starving nations. Any squabbles Roger and the band have had in the past are so petty in this context, and if re-forming for this concert will help focus attention then it's got to be worthwhile.
After Dark Side we were really floundering around. I wanted to make the next album more musical, because I felt some of these tracks had been just vehicles for the words. We were working in 1974 in this horrible little rehearsal room in Kings Cross without windows, putting together what became the next two albums, 'Wish You Were Here', and 'Animals'.
For me, 'Wish You Were Here' was very satisfying. I'd rather listen to it than Dark Side Of The Moon. I think we achieved a better balance of music and lyrics. 'Dark Side' went a bit too far the other way -- too much importance was placed on the lyrics. And sometimes the tunes were neglected.

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