Dick Parry, saxophonist behind Pink Floyd classics, dies at 83

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Saxophonist Dick Parry, best known for his work with legendary rock band ‘Pink Floyd,’ has died at the age of 83, with lead guitarist David Gilmour announcing the news in an emotional social media tribute on Friday, May 22.

Parry’s saxophone performances became a defining element of several of the band’s most celebrated songs, and he later continued collaborating on albums and tours led by Gilmour as both a solo artist and the band's frontman. No cause of death has been yet stated.

David Gilmour pays tribute to Dick Parry’s decades-long musical legacy

Gilmour confirmed the news in a post on X, writing, “My dear friend Dick Parry died this morning, Since I was seventeen, I have played in bands with Dick on saxophone, including Pink Floyd. His feel and tone make his saxophone playing unmistakable."

He continued, "A signature of enormous beauty that is known to millions and is such a big part of songs such as ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’, ‘Us and Them’ and ‘Money.' He played in the last band I had that included [former Floyd keyboardist] Rick Wright for the On An Island Tour [in 2006] and at Live 8 with Pink Floyd [the band’s one and only full reunion show, in 2005]."

Gilmour concluded his brief tribute by introducing a photo montage that reflected the pair’s long-standing friendship, writing, “Here are some pictures of him, including one of him and me playing for the ABC Minors at the Victoria Cinema in Cambridge in 1963.”

Parry performed saxophone solos on 'Pink Floyd’s' 1973 album ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ and 1975’s ‘Wish You Were Here,’ remaining with the band on tour from 1973 to 1977. Nearly two decades later, he reunited with the Gilmour-led lineup for 1994’s ‘The Division Bell’ and joined the band on its supporting tour following 'Roger Waters' departure in 1985.

He began his career as a professional musician in the early to mid-1960s with the Cambridge-based band 'The Soul Committee.' It was during this period that he met Gilmour, who was then performing with another local band, before later being invited by the guitarist to join Pink Floyd’s recording sessions.

Dick Parry’s enduring bond with David Gilmour and Pink Floyd fans

Parry became especially well known among the band fans for performing with two saxophones strapped on stage, allowing him to switch between baritone and tenor during his solo on ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond.’

Following news of his death, several notable figures shared tributes in the comments section of Gilmour’s Instagram post, including singer and songwriter Graham Nash, who wrote, “I’m very sorry for your loss, David.” Music executive Merck Mercuriadis also paid tribute, commenting, “Thank you Mr. Parry for the music, condolences to all.”

In a birthday tribute shared in December 2024, Gilmour had described Parry as “one of my oldest friends.” He had also reflected on reconnecting with Parry in 1994 while preparing for 'Pink Floyd’s' album and tour that year.

“I got a Christmas card from Parry who I hadn’t seen for years, and who’d given up the saxophone entirely and I think was unemployed, living in a village near Cambridge, doing nothing, I knew that years ago he had sold his saxophones and gone into being a farrier, shoeing horses. ” he said. 

He continued, “And he had apparently given that up as well, and he had bought himself another saxophone a year or so ago, and he just sent me a Christmas card… I just rang him up to say ‘How are you doing?’ He was talking to me about it and I had been thinking about what to do about saxophone on the tour because we weren’t going to need a lot of it, but we needed some.”

Gilmour concluded, “I asked him if he felt like auditioning for coming on the tour, to see if he still had his chops together, and he told me that he thought he was playing better than he’d ever played. And I got him down to the boat to have a little audition. The only one we could think of that would be really appropriate for sax was ‘Wearing the Inside Out,’ so we put him on it. Boom, he’s got that tone. It’s fantastic."