List of Pink Floyd band members

Pink Floyd were an English rock band founded in late 1965 by Syd Barrett on guitar and lead vocals, Nick Mason on drums, Roger Waters on bass and vocals, and Richard Wright on keyboards and vocals.[1] Guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour would later join the band in December 1967,[2][3] while Barrett was ousted from the band in April 1968 due to deteriorating mental health.[4] From the 1970s onwards, they were augmented by additional personnel in the studio and on stage. Following creative tensions, Wright left in 1981,[5] followed by Waters in 1985.[6] Wright rejoined as a session musician[7] and, later, band member.[8] Mason is the only member to appear on all studio releases.[9]

Three line-ups of Pink Floyd performing in 1973, 1989 and 2005.

History

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Waters and Mason met while studying architecture at the London Polytechnic at Regent Street.[10] They first played music together in a group formed by fellow students Keith Noble and Clive Metcalfe,[11] with Noble's sister Sheilagh. Richard Wright, a fellow architecture student, joined later that year, and the group became a sextet, Sigma 6. Waters played lead guitar, Mason drums, and Wright rhythm guitar, later moving to keyboards.[12]

Guitarist Bob Klose joined during September 1964, prompting Waters to switch to bass.[13] Sigma 6 went through several names, including the Meggadeaths, the Abdabs and the Screaming Abdabs, Leonard's Lodgers, and the Spectrum Five, before settling on the Tea Set.[14] In September 1964, as Metcalfe and Noble left to form their own band,[15] Klose introduced the band to singer Chris Dennis, a technician with the Royal Air Force (RAF).[16] When the RAF assigned Dennis a post in Bahrain in early 1965, Syd Barrett became the band's frontman.[17] After pressure from his parents and advice from his college tutors, Klose quit the band in mid-1965 and Barrett took over lead guitar.[18] The group rebranded as the Pink Floyd Sound in late 1965.[1]

In December 1967, reaching a crisis point with Barrett, Pink Floyd added guitarist David Gilmour as the fifth member.[2][3] Gilmour already knew Barrett, having studied with him at Cambridge Tech in the early 1960s.[19] Working with Barrett eventually proved too difficult, and matters came to a conclusion in January while en route to a performance in Southampton when a band member asked if they should collect Barrett. According to Gilmour, the answer was "Nah, let's not bother", signalling the end of Barrett's tenure with Pink Floyd.[20]

For the Dark Side of the Moon Tour in 1973, the band were joined by saxophonist Dick Parry,[21][22] as well as by backing singers Nawasa Crowder, Mary Ann Lindsey and Phyllis Lindsey from March – June 1973,[21] Billy Barnum, Venetta Fields and Clydie King in October 1973,[23] and Vicki Brown, Liza Strike and Clare Torry at "A Benefit for Robert Wyatt", 4 November 1973.[24] Parry stayed with the band into 1974 and 1975, alongside Venetta Fields & Carlena Williams on backing vocals.[25][26]

The band stopped using female singers for the In the Flesh tour in 1977, instead the band were joined by Snowy White on guitar, bass and backing vocals, alongside Parry on saxophone and keyboards.

During the recording of The Wall (1979), the band became dissatisfied with Wright's lack of contribution and fired him.[27] Gilmour said that Wright was dismissed as he "hadn't contributed anything of any value whatsoever to the album—he did very, very little".[28] For The Wall tour, Wright was re-hired as a contracted musician,[29] alongside Andy Bown on bass guitar, Snowy White on guitars, Willie Wilson on drums and percussion, Peter Wood on keyboards, and backing singers Joe Chemay, Stan Farber, Jim Haas, John Joyce.

After recording, The Final Cut (1983), without Wright, Waters left the band, following tentions with Gilmour and Mason. Pink Floyd were inactive until 1986, following legal battles between members.[30] Gilmour began recruiting musicians in 1986, for what would later become Pink Floyd.[31] He rehired Wright, but could only add him as a contract musician.[32]

For the A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour, which started in 1987, Gilmour, Wright and Mason were joined by Jon Carin on keyboards and vocals, Scott Page on saxophones, oboe and guitars, Guy Pratt on bass guitar and vocals, Tim Renwick on guitars and backing vocals, Gary Wallis on percussion, and backing vocalists Rachel Fury and Margaret Taylor. Durga McBroom, Lorelei McBroom and Roberta Freeman joined as extra backing vocalist mid way through the first leg of the tour. Durga continued with the band while Freeman departed after a few shows, alongside Lorelei, thought she returned to replace Taylor for 1989 shows.

Pink Floyd played one show in 1990, backing musicians included Pratt, Carin, Renwick, Wallis and D. McBroom, alongside keyboardist Michael Kamen, saxophonist Candy Dulfer, and backing vocalists Sam Brown, Vicki Brown and Clare Torry. They also played a one off in 1993, with members of Mike and the Mechanics as backing musicians, Mike Rutherford on bass, Renwick on guitar and Wallis on second drums, Adrian Lee on keyboards, and Paul Young on vocalist.[33] The bands final tour, The Division Bell Tour included Pratt, Carin, Renwick, Wallis, Dick Parry returning on sax, and backing vocalists Sam Brown, Claudia Fontaine, and Durga McBroom.

The band reunited in 1996, with Gilmour, Mason and Wright being joined by Billy Corgan, to perform "Wish You Were Here".[34] Waters rejoined Gilmour, Wright and Mason at Live 8 in 2005, the band were supported by Carin on additional keys and lap steel, and Renwick on guitar and bass.[35] Wright, Gilmour and Mason played at the Madcap's Last Laugh concert in Tribute to Syd Barrett who died in 2006. They were joined by Carin on keys and Oasis's Andy Bell on bass.[36] Wright died in 2008.[37]

Mason and Gilmour reunited in 2013 to finish an album that be been partially recorded in the 90s, this was announced to be their last.[38] The duo again reunited in 2022, releasing "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!" protesting Russian's invasion of Ukraine.[39]

Official members

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Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Nick Mason[40]
  • 1963–1994
  • 2005 (Live 8 reunion concert)
  • 2007
  • 2013–2014
  • 2022
  • drums
  • percussion
  • tape effects
  • occasional vocals
all Pink Floyd releases
Roger Waters[41]
  • 1963–1985
  • 2005 (Live 8 reunion concert)
  • bass
  • lead and backing vocals
  • tape effects
  • occasional guitar, percussion, and synthesizers
Richard Wright[42]
  • 1963–1981
  • 1987–1994
  • 2005 (Live 8 reunion concert)
  • 2007 (session musician during 1986–1987) (died 2008)
  • keyboards
  • backing and lead vocals
  • synthesizers
  • rhythm guitar (1963–1964)

[43]

all releases except for "When the Tigers Broke Free" (1982), The Final Cut (1983) and "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!" (2022)
  Syd Barrett[44] 1964–1968 (died 2006)
  • lead and backing vocals
  • guitar
David Gilmour[45]
  • 1967–1994
  • 2005 (Live 8 reunion concert)
  • 2007
  • 2013–2014
  • 2022
  • guitar
  • lead and backing vocals
  • occasional bass, keyboards, synthesizers, and drums
all releases from "It Would Be So Nice" (1968) onwards except for 1965: Their First Recordings (2015)

Touring members

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Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions/tours
David O'List 1967
  • guitar
  • vocals
Substitute for Syd Barrett[46]
Nawasa Crowder 1973 backing vocals The Dark Side of the Moon Tour 1973
Mary Ann Lindsey
Phyllis Lindsey
Billie Barnum
Clydie King
Liza Strike The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Clare Torry
  • 1973
  • 1990 (session 1979)
Vicki Brown
  • 1973
  • 1990 (session 1979) (died 1991)
The Wall (1979) one track only – also The Dark Side of the Moon Tour 1973 and Knebworth Festival Benefit Concert 1990
Venetta Fields 1973–1975 Wish You Were Here (1975) – also The Dark Side of the Moon Tour 1973, French Concert Series 1974, British Winter Tour 1974 and North American Tour 1975
Carlena Williams 1973–1975 (died 2013)
Dick Parry
  • 1973–1978
  • 1994
  • 2005
  • saxophone
  • keyboards
Snowy White 1977–1980
  • guitar
  • bass
  • backing vocals
Animals (1977) one track on 8-track version only – also In the Flesh 1977 and The Wall tour (1980 only)
Jim Haas[47] 1980–1981 (session 1979) (died 2018) backing vocals The Wall (1979) – also The Wall tour
Joe Chemay[47] 1980–1981 (session 1979)
Stan Farber[47]
John Joyce[47]
Andy Bown[47] 1980–1981 (session 1982)
  • bass
  • acoustic guitar (live only)
  • keyboards (studio only)
The Final Cut (1983) – also The Wall tour
Peter Wood[47] 1980–1981
  • keyboards
  • acoustic guitar
The Wall tour
Willie Wilson[47]
  • drums
  • percussion
Clive Brooks 1981 (substitute) (died 2017) The Wall tour performance at one show only, tech for whole tour
Andy Roberts[47] 1981 guitar The Wall tour (1981 only)
Jon Carin
  • 1987–1994
  • 2005
  • 2007
  • keyboards
  • percussion
  • lap steel guitar (2005)
  • vocals
Tim Renwick
  • 1987–1994
  • 2005
  • guitar
  • backing vocals
  • bass (2005)
Guy Pratt 1987–1994 (session 2013, 2022)
  • bass guitar
  • vocals
Gary Wallis 1987–1994
  • percussion
  • additional keyboards
  • drums
  • Delicate Sound of Thunder (1988)
  • The Division Bell (1994)
  • Pulse (1995) – also A Momentary Lapse of Reason tour 1987–1989, Knebworth Festival Benefit Concert 1990, King Edward VII Hospital Benefit Concert 1993 and The Division Bell Tour 1994
Scott Page 1987–1989
  • saxophone
  • oboe
  • guitar
A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) – also A Momentary Lapse of Reason tour 1987–1989
Rachel Fury backing vocals A Momentary Lapse of Reason tour 1987–1989
Margaret Taylor 1987–1988 A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour 1987 and World Tour 1988
Lorelei McBroom
  • 1987
  • 1989
A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour 1987 and Another Lapse 1989
Roberta Freeman 1987 A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour 1987
Durga McBroom 1987–1994 (session 2013–2014)
Sam Brown 1990–1994 The Division Bell (1994) – also Knebworth Festival Benefit Concert 1990 and The Division Bell Tour 1994
Candy Dulfer 1990 saxophone Knebworth Festival Benefit Concert 1990
Michael Kamen 1990 (session 1979, 1982, 1993) (died 2003) keyboards
  • The Wall (1979)
  • The Final Cut (1983)
  • The Division Bell (1994) – also Knebworth Festival Benefit Concert 1990
Mike Rutherford 1993 bass guitar King Edward VII Hospital Benefit Concert 1993 – with Mike and the Mechanics
Adrian Lee
  • keyboards
  • backing vocals
Paul Young 1993 (died 2000)
  • vocals
  • tambourine
Claudia Fontaine 1994 (died 2018) backing vocals The Division Bell Tour 1994
Billy Corgan 1996 guitar Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 1996
Carol Kenyon 2005 (session 1982) backing vocals The Division Bell (1994) – also Live 8 Concert 2005
Andy Bell 2007 bass The Madcap's Last Laugh: Syd Barrett tribute concert 2007

Session members

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Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Doris Troy 1972–1973 (died 2004) backing vocals The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Lesley Duncan 1972–1973 (died 2010)
Barry St. John 1972–1973 (died 2020)
Roy Harper 1975 vocals Wish You Were Here (1975)
Bob Ezrin
  • 1978–1979
  • 1986–1994
  • keyboards
  • percussion
  • orchestral arrangement
  • composition
  • backing vocals
  • bass guitar
Jeff Porcaro 1979 (died 1992) drums The Wall (1979)
Joe Porcaro 1979 (died 2020)
Bruce Johnston 1979 backing vocals
Toni Tennille
James Guthrie
  • percussion
  • synthesizer
  • sound effects
Children of Islington Green School vocals
Lee Ritenour guitar
Joe (Ron) di Blasi
Fred Mandel Hammond organ
Bobbye Hall congas and bongos
Larry Williams clarinet
Trevor Veitch mandolin
New York Orchestra orchestra
New York Opera choral vocals
Harry Waters voice
Chris Fitzmorris
Trudy Young
Phil Taylor sound effects
Frank Marocco 1979 (died 2012) concertina
Andy Newmark 1982 drums The Final Cut (1983)
Ray Cooper percussion
Doreen Chanter backing vocals
Irene Chanter
National Philharmonic Orchestra orchestra
Raphael Ravenscroft 1982 (died 2014) tenor saxophone
Patrick Leonard 1986–1987 synthesizers A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987)
Bill Payne Hammond organ
Michael Landau guitar
Tony Levin
  • bass guitar
  • Chapman Stick
Jim Keltner drums
Carmine Appice
Steve Forman percussion
Tom Scott saxophone
John Helliwell
Darlene Koldenhoven backing vocals
Carmen Twillie
Phyllis St. James
Donny Gerrard 1986–1987 (died 2022)
Jackie Sheridan 1993–1994 The Division Bell (1994)
Rebecca Leigh-White
Andy Jackson 2013–2014
  • bass guitar
  • sound effects
The Endless River (2014)
Damon Iddins keyboards
Anthony Moore
Gilad Atzmon
  • saxophone
  • clarinet
Louise Marshal backing vocals
Tidaya Sharim
Youth
  • programming
  • synthesizers
  • keyboards
Eddie Bander
Michael Rendall
Escala strings
Nitin Sawhney[48] 2022 keyboards "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!" (2022)
Veryovka Ukrainian Folk Choir choir

Timelines

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Official members

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Touring timeline

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Members of early antecedents

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In addition to the official members of Pink Floyd, there were several members of bands that preceded it. These bands performed at various times as Sigma 6, the Meggadeaths, the Abdabs (or the Screaming Abdabs), Leonard's Lodgers, the Spectrum Five, and the Tea Set.[49]

Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Mike Leonard[50] 1963–1964 keyboards None
Clive Metcalfe bass
Keith Noble vocals
Sheilagh Noble 1963
Vernon Thompson guitar
Juliette Gale 1964 vocals 1965: Their First Recordings (2015)
Bob Klose 1964–1965 guitar
Chris Denis 1965 vocals None

Line-ups

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Period Members Releases
September 1963 – August 1964

(Sigma 6)

none
September 1964 – Early 1965

(The Tea Set)

  • Nick Mason – drums
  • Roger Waters – bass
  • Richard Wright – keyboards
  • Bob Klose – guitar
  • Chris Dennis – vocals
none
Early – Mid 1965

(The Tea Set)

  • Nick Mason – drums
  • Roger Waters – bass
  • Richard Wright – keyboards
  • Bob Klose – guitar
  • Syd Barrett – vocals, guitar
Mid 1965 – December 1967

(The Tea Set until late 1965, Pink Floyd from late 1965 onwards)

  • Nick Mason – drums
  • Roger Waters – bass, vocals
  • Richard Wright – keyboards, vocals
  • Syd Barrett – guitar, vocals
January 1968
  • Nick Mason – drums
  • Roger Waters – bass, vocals
  • Richard Wright – keyboards, vocals
  • Syd Barrett – guitar, vocals
  • David Gilmour – guitar, vocals
February 1968 – June 1981
  • Nick Mason – drums
  • Roger Waters – bass, vocals
  • Richard Wright – keyboards, vocals
  • David Gilmour – guitar, vocals
July 1981 – December 1985
  • Nick Mason – drums
  • Roger Waters – bass, keyboards, vocals
  • David Gilmour – guitar, keyboards, vocals
January 1986 – August 1987
  • Nick Mason – drums
  • David Gilmour – guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals
September 1987 – June 2005
  • Nick Mason – drums
  • David Gilmour – guitar, bass, vocals
  • Richard Wright – keyboards, vocals
July 2005

(Live 8)

  • Nick Mason – drums
  • David Gilmour – guitar, vocals
  • Richard Wright – keyboards, vocals
  • Roger Waters – bass, vocals
none
August 2005 – September 2008
  • Nick Mason – drums
  • David Gilmour – guitar, bass, vocals
  • Richard Wright – keyboards, vocals
none
October 2008 – Present
  • Nick Mason – drums
  • David Gilmour – guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals

References

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  1. ^ a b Povey 2008, pp. 18–19.
  2. ^ a b Povey 2008, p. 47.
  3. ^ a b Blake 2011, p. 109.
  4. ^ Schaffner 1991, pp. 107–108.
  5. ^ Simmons 1999, p. 88.
  6. ^ Blake 2008, pp. 311–313: O'Rourke's involvement in the settlement; Povey 2008, p. 240: "a spent force".
  7. ^ Blake 2008, pp. 316–317.
  8. ^ Blake 2008, p. 355.
  9. ^ "Nick Mason Explains Why He'll Never Give Up On Pink Floyd". Rolling Stone. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  10. ^ Blake 2008, pp. 37–38: Mason meeting Waters while studying architecture at the London Polytechnic; Fitch 2005, p. 335: Waters meeting Mason while studying architecture at the London Polytechnic.
  11. ^ Povey 2008, p. 15.
  12. ^ Blake 2008, pp. 39–40: Wright was also an architecture student when he joined Sigma 6; Povey 2008, pp. 13–14: The formation of Sigma 6; Schaffner 1991, p. 27: Instrumental line-up of Sigma 6: Waters (lead guitar), Wright (rhythm guitar) and Mason (drums).
  13. ^ Povey 2008, p. 14.
  14. ^ Povey 2008, pp. 13–18.
  15. ^ Nick Mason (2011). Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd. Hachette UK. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-78022-175-5.
  16. ^ Blake 2008, pp. 42–44.
  17. ^ Povey 2008, p. 19.
  18. ^ Blake 2008, pp. 44–45: Klose quit the band in mid 1965 and Barrett took over on lead guitar (secondary source); Mason 2005, p. 32: Klose quit the band in mid 1965 (primary source).
  19. ^ Schaffner 1991, pp. 22–23.
  20. ^ Povey 2008, p. 78.
  21. ^ a b Povey 2006, p. 173.
  22. ^ Rosenberg 1990, p. 45.
  23. ^ Shea 2009, p. 75.
  24. ^ Povey 2006, p. 179.
  25. ^ Blake 2011.
  26. ^ Guesdon, Jean-Michel; Margotin, Philippe (24 October 2017). Pink Floyd All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Running Press. p. 2017. ISBN 978-0-316-43923-7.
  27. ^ Simmons 1999, pp. 76–95.
  28. ^ Schaffner 1991, p. 219: That's why Wright "got the boot"; Simmons 1999, pp. 86–88: Wright, "hadn't contributed anything of any value".
  29. ^ Blake 2008, pp. 285–286.
  30. ^ Danton, Eric R. (19 September 2013). "Roger Waters Regrets Pink Floyd Legal Battle". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  31. ^ Schaffner 1991, pp. 268–269.
  32. ^ Manning 2006, p. 134: Pink Floyd employed Wright as a paid musician with weekly earnings of $11,000; Schaffner 1991, p. 269: "would make us stronger legally and musically".
  33. ^ Jarman, Robert (12 August 2013). "It Was Twenty Years Ago Today That Lord Cowdray Had The Band To Play – The Ruins Band 1993 | The Vintage Magazine – Save the Best for Last". www.thevintagemagazine.com. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  34. ^ Brakes, Rod (17 January 2023). "Watch Pink Floyd's Impassioned Rock & Roll Hall of Fame "Wish You Were Here" Performance". Guitar Player. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  35. ^ Black, Johnny (30 November 2022). "When Pink Floyd reunited for Live 8: "It was like sleeping with your ex-wife"". louder. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  36. ^ Pink Floyd (28 August 2020). Pink Floyd - Arnold Layne (Live at The Barbican 2007). Retrieved 17 May 2024 – via YouTube.
  37. ^ Pareles, Jon (16 September 2008). "Richard Wright, Member of Pink Floyd, Dies at 65". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  38. ^ "Pink Floyd's The Endless River: 'This is the last thing out from us'". The Guardian. 9 October 2014. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  39. ^ Petridis, Alexis (7 April 2022). "'This is a crazy, unjust attack': Pink Floyd re-form to support Ukraine". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  40. ^ Povey 2008, p. 29.
  41. ^ Povey 2008, pp. 29, 237.
  42. ^ Povey 2008, pp. 29, 270.
  43. ^ Povey 2008, pp. 232–236.
  44. ^ Povey 2008, pp. 29, 90.
  45. ^ Povey 2008, p. 90.
  46. ^ Mason, Nick (2004). Inside out : a personal history of Pink Floyd. Philip Dodd. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. p. 96. ISBN 0-297-84387-7. OCLC 56943519.
  47. ^ a b c d e f g h Povey 2008, p. 233.
  48. ^ Petridis, Alexis (7 April 2022). "'This is a crazy, unjust attack': Pink Floyd re-form to support Ukraine". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  49. ^ "Before They Were Pink Floyd – A History of the Band Pre Floyd | Neptune Pink Floyd". 31 January 2013.
  50. ^ "Pink Floyd: How it all began". Evening Standard. 10 September 2012.

Sources

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