David Gilmour may have joined Pink Floyd as a quiet reinforcement, stepping in as Syd Barrett’s health declined, but his artistry soon became essential to the band’s identity. With his expressive guitar work and emotionally charged songwriting, Gilmour didn’t just fill the void—he elevated Pink Floyd to new creative heights. But even as his own legend grew, Gilmour never lost sight of the musicians who inspired him.
At the top of that list? Jimi Hendrix.
Like countless others, Gilmour was captivated by Hendrix’s revolutionary approach. He singled out Electric Ladyland, Hendrix’s stunning second album, as a formative influence. But his admiration didn’t end at fandom—Gilmour even helped mix Hendrix’s iconic Isle of Wight performance. He would later call Hendrix the greatest guitarist of all time.
In a 2006 interview with the BBC, Gilmour recalled the moment his world changed: “Jimi Hendrix, fantastic. I went to a club in South Kensington in 1966. This kid got on stage with Brian Auger and the Trinity. He started to play the guitar the other way around [upside down]. Myself, and the whole place, were with their jaws hanging open.”
The next day, Gilmour rushed to local record shops to buy whatever he could. But Hendrix’s music hadn’t hit shelves yet. “So they said, ‘Well, we’ve got a James Hendrix.’ He hadn’t yet done anything. So I became rather an avid fan waiting for his first release.”
But Hendrix wasn’t the only guitarist who shaped Gilmour’s style. He also deeply admired Eric Clapton’s work with British blues groups like John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers—a band that also featured guitar greats like Mick Taylor and Peter Green.
“All of those guys were incredible,” Gilmour told Relix in 2015. “I spent time trying to learn how to play their licks perfectly. I would suggest any young player should try to sit down and do that. You’ll wind up knowing how to play their stuff quite well. But eventually, you will find your own style from that. It forces its way out of the copying.”
Yet when asked who sits at the very top of his personal pantheon, Gilmour didn’t hesitate. That honor goes to Jeff Beck.
“I have lots of favourite guitar players,” Gilmour said. “Probably the person I have admired the longest and the most consistent is Jeff Beck, in the guitar playing stakes. A lovely guy.”
The two shared the stage at Beck’s 2009 Royal Albert Hall show, a moment that clearly meant something to Gilmour. In the 2018 documentary Jeff Beck: Still On The Run, he praised Beck’s fearless approach: “A maverick guitar player who doesn’t like to repeat himself. Who takes big risks all the time and has done all the way throughout his career.”
Whether it was Hendrix’s raw electricity, Clapton’s bluesy craftsmanship, or Beck’s boundary-pushing genius, each left a mark on Gilmour’s journey. And in celebrating them, Gilmour reveals what makes him so enduring: a restless spirit, a deep respect for risk-takers, and a love for the guitar that never fades.
