David Gilmour is celebrating his birthday today! The musician has been a pillar of the rock industry for being Pink Floyd's guitarist for years. Find out more about his life, career, and net worth below, and watch the final time he performs with the iconic Black Strat.
Born David Jon Gilmour on March 6, 1946, in Cambridge, England, the guitarist is celebrating his 77th birthday today! The musician's first memory of music was when he was a kid as his parents, Douglas Gilmour, and Sylvia Wilson encouraged him to pursue the creative field.
In 1954, he had the honor to purchase his first single titled "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley, but he became interested in the guitar when Elvis Presley released "Heartbreak Hotel."
At a young age, he borrowed a guitar from his neighbor and since he loved playing the instrument so much, he was never able to return it. He taught himself how to play the guitar just by reading a book and record set by Pete Seeger.
When he was 11 years old, he attended Perse School on Hills Road where he met his bandmates Roger Waters and Syd Barrett who studies at a nearby campus.
Although he's very popular today for being Pink Floyd's guitarist, he started out with a different band called Jokers Wild. They were able to release a one-sided album and one single in London. However, they were not very successful when it comes to numbers as there were only 50 copies.
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Later in life, Gilmour became successful with Pink Floyd, especially after releasing their debut album "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
Today, the musician has an estimated net worth of $160 million, making him the second-richest member of the band, just below Roger Waters who has a staggering fortune of $310 million. (via SCMP)
David Gilmour's Final Performance with Black Strat
According to Guitar World, Pink Floyd's original lineup featuring Roger Waters, Rick Wright, Nick Mason, and Gilmour performed at the Live 8 festival with a 20-minute set.
The setlist includes some of their most iconic hits like "Money," "Breathe," "Comfortable Numb," and "Wish You Were Here."
Little did fans know, this would be the band's last public performance to date. The set also marked Gilmour's final time playing his iconic black Stratocaster as it was later sold in an auction for a whopping $3.98 million.
At the time of its sale, it was considered to be the most valuable guitar ever sold at an auction. Watch the musician's performance with his black strat above.
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