They were arrested on one occasion and destitute, which resulted in Gilmour requiring treatment in a hospital for malnutrition. In August 1965, Gilmour busked around Spain and France with Barrett and some other friends, performing songs by the Beatles. The band 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. In late 1962, Gilmour joined the blues rock band Jokers Wild.
Barrett was also a student at the college, and he spent his lunchtimes practising guitar with Gilmour. Despite not finishing the course, he eventually learnt to speak fluent French. In 1962, Gilmour began studying A-Level modern languages at the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology. There he met future Pink Floyd guitarist Syd Barrett and bassist Roger Waters, who attended Cambridgeshire High School for Boys, also situated on Hills Road. At age 11, Gilmour began attending Perse School on Hills Road, Cambridge, which he did not enjoy. Soon afterward, Gilmour started teaching himself to play using a book and record set by Pete Seeger. He borrowed a guitar from a neighbour, but never gave it back. His enthusiasm was stirred the following year by Elvis Presley's " Heartbreak Hotel", and later " Bye Bye Love" by the Everly Brothers piqued his interest in the guitar. 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". At the time of Gilmour's birth they lived in Trumpington, Cambridgeshire, but in 1956, after several relocations, the family moved to nearby Grantchester Meadows. His father, Douglas Gilmour, was a senior lecturer in zoology at the University of Cambridge, and his mother, Sylvia (née Wilson), trained as a teacher and later worked as a film editor for the BBC. 11.2 Fender Black Strat Signature Stratocasterĭavid Jon Gilmour was born on 6 March 1946 in Cambridge, England.He has married twice and is the father of eight children. Gilmour has taken part in projects related to issues including animal rights, environmentalism, homelessness, poverty, and human rights. He was also voted number 36 in the greatest voices in rock by Planet Rock listeners in 2009. In 2011, Rolling Stone ranked him number 14 in their list of the greatest guitarists of all time. He was awarded with the Outstanding Contribution title at the 2008 Q Awards. In 2003, Gilmour was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). As a member of Pink Floyd, he was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. He is also credited for bringing singer-songwriter Kate Bush to public attention.
Gilmour has produced a variety of artists, such as the Dream Academy, and has released four solo studio albums: David Gilmour, About Face, On an Island, and Rattle That Lock.
Following the departure of Roger Waters in 1985, Pink Floyd continued under Gilmour's leadership and released three more studio albums. By the early 1980s, they had become one of the highest-selling and most acclaimed acts in music history by 2012, they had sold more than 250 million records worldwide, including 75 million in the United States. Pink Floyd achieved international success with the concept albums The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977), and The Wall (1979). He joined as guitarist and co-lead vocalist in 1967, shortly before the departure of founder member Syd Barrett. David Jon Gilmour CBE ( / ˈ ɡ ɪ l m ɔː r/ GHIL-mor born 6 March 1946) is an English songwriter, guitarist, and singer who was a member of rock band Pink Floyd.