David Gilmour

Tapped by the psychedelic/progressive rock group Pink Floyd as a replacement for ailing founder Syd Barrett, guitarist David Gilmour soon became a key figure in the group's evolution from experimental musicians to international superstars through significant contributions to the band's famed 1970s output, including Dark Side of the Moon (1972), Wish You Were Here (1975) and The Wall (1979). Acclaimed for his fiery guitar work, Gilmour sought equal footing with bassist Roger Waters in penning songs for Pink Floyd, but found himself increasingly stymied by Waters' controlling nature. He funneled some of his frustrations into a solo career, but tensions between Gilmour and Waters led to a band breakup in 1985 that remained unresolved for the better part of two decades. Gilmour took charge of Pink Floyd for much of this period, generating two hit records and subsequent world tours, before reuniting with Waters, keyboardist Rick Wright and drummer Nick Mason at London's Live 8 event in 2005. Their longstanding riff now over, Gilmour reunited with Waters on several occasions while enjoying newfound success with his first No. 1 solo album, On an Island, in 2006. A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member as part of Pink Floyd in 1995, David Gilmour enjoyed a long, successful and well-respected music career that lasted over a half-century.