Pink Floyd's Gilmour Gives Walls to the Homeless

Reuters (via Yahoo) ^ | 05/20/03

[Drew68]

Pink Floyd's Gilmour Gives Walls to the Homeless

LONDON (Reuters) - Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour (news) donated $5.88 million to charity on Tuesday to house hundreds of homeless people and low-wage workers in central London.

The 59-year-old rock star said he was inspired by a similar community project developed in New York.

"I've seen what has been achieved in New York and am passionately behind this London project," he said in a statement.

The "urban village," administered by the Crisis charity, aims to house 400 residents, including the homeless and public service workers like nurses and teachers who have been priced out of the soaring London housing market.

Crisis said a site for the scheme has yet to be chosen.

Gilmour's searing guitar work featured on Pink Floyd's biggest albums, including "The Wall" and "Wish You Were Here."

His personal fortune from a hugely successful career in music has been estimated at $122 million.

[MikeD]

Pros and Cons had Clapton playing guitar - he also toured with Waters to support it. Internet rumor is that Clapton's involvmenet stemmed from a hard night of drinking with Roger in London, which ended with him promising his support. He followed through with the promise, despite it bein a less-than-stellar career move.

I find it amusing that Waters & Clapton could tour together and have problems selling 10,000 seats...

MD

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Good point - the Pros & Cons tour was a commercial disaster. Although, in hindsight I would have loved to have seen it (of course I was only 13 at the time :-) )

[P.O.E.]

Have heard one live version (have it on cassette somewhere). I seem to remember seeing a TV video of it (way back in the day - before MTV) - I think on PBS or something. Have never been able to find it.

[wardaddy]

I had to call my wife on that one. She is from Murfreesboro (my folks moved there as well while I was at Ole Miss in 78 but I never lived there)....anyhow of course she knew immediately. She's a bit younger than I (8 years) and was married to a Nashville musician once and knows the "scene" here better than I. She always liked the White Animals of early to mid 80s fame here.

Murfreesboro has had a number of small but significant bands come out of there.

When were you there? Did you know a longhaired blonde fellow who like to fight named Nelson?...he's a longtime family friend and a character around Murfreesboro....

[wardaddy]

Indeed...he was in his ancient barn/loft that had been converted into an office of sorts and was so reflective and polite and of course his "English" was perfect.

I will never forget how his twinkling eyes misted over when reflecting on Syd. Lost friends...lost time....lost lives.

I've seen it myself but not so publicly.

Anyhow...a helluva gent for an older rock icon. Very impressive. Plus...he seems quite intelligent and well read.

[wardaddy]

I will of course give "God" a nod but I was more touched by him as a parent myself when he lost his little boy in that horrific fall....I always think about that when I think about Clapton and how difficult that song must have been. I hope G-d took that child into his arms promptly in that fall. So tragic.

Skunk is tight and of course a real genius in other matters too as we all know here and I would guess fairly conservo.

Hendrix is in his own league and he died young which keeps it going in a macabre way. Castles Made of Sand is one of my favorites.

[wardaddy]

Well said.

[wardaddy]

Thanks for the info....that probably has contributed to both his creativity, thirst for validation and the subsequent alienation from his bandmates/chums.

[MikeD]

IIRC, Gilmour's Dad was a University professor. They were all from the upper class University setting, even if they didn't finish college themselves.

I take that back -- I seem to recall one of them got an architect degree (unless I'm confusing that with Weird Al Yankovic).

MD

[wardaddy]

I'm gonna check it out.

[wardaddy]

I had a quad amp/tuner in 75.

[wardaddy]

Mahogany Rush....now I'm in the "way back" machine and having serious flashbacks.....get me a Xanax!...lol

[wardaddy]

Thanks....we all need to do some Floyd research.

[Aquinasfan]

Castles Made of Sand is one of my favorites.

I forgot about "Voodoo Chile." That was a quantum leap over anything else released in the late '60s, except for maybe the Zep.

I'm rediscovering Steely Dan. I always assumed Walter Becker played guitar in all of their songs. What else did Jeff "Skunk" Baxter do?

[Aquinasfan]

If ya notice a lot of his lyrics deals with not having a father around. He seems very bitter about it. It is mentioned several times in "The Wall" and "The Final Cut"...

Listen to "The Gunner's Dream" with that understanding and you can't help but be moved. It's a tremendous song. As Americans, we don't fully understand the effect of having a war fought on our own soil. Both of my parents were caught up in WWII, being English and Polish, and the war stayed with them their entire lives. My father used to watch "World at War" seemingly every weekend. Half of his family was wiped out in the war. Also, having lost my dad when I was in my early 20's, I can empathize with Waters' sense of loss. His sadness is real, and not posturing.

I have heard that the line in "Wish You Were Here" that says "did you exchange your walk on part in a war for a lead role in a cage" is about his dad too. The theme seems to be a major topic for his lyrics.

That's my favorite line in any rock song. I didn't know where it came from, though. Thanks.

P.S. On the "Final Cut" the song "Fletcher Memorial Home" is named for his dad Eric Fletcher Waters 1918-1944

Another great, heartfelt song from the album. The politics are wrong, but the sentiment is understandable.

[ConstitutionalConservative]

I agree! I think if I had lost my dad when I was a child I would be bitter about it too! His feelings are VERY understandable.

[wardaddy]

Doobies.

[wardaddy]

Skunk is also an ICBM expert who has testified before Congress and consulted for the DOD...seriously.

[Yardstick]

I was there from '95 to '99. I don't know a Nelson, but you're right about Murfreesboro being a little bit of a scene, now that I think about it. There were two other excellent bands in M'boro when I was there, younger guys, and much poppier sounding -- they were both on the SpongeBath label that operates out of Murfreesboro. I can picture them onstage but I'm totally blanking on the names. Oh well, not real important anyway...

[wardaddy]

Lark Watts...I think the Evinrudes too..