Dick Parry, who created a number of the most indelible saxophone solos in rock music historical past by way of his affiliation with Pink Floyd and lifelong buddy David Gilmour, died Friday at age 83.
Parry was notably lionized for his unforgettable solos on the albums “The Darkish Facet of the Moon” and “Want You Had been Right here,” together with elements on such signature songs as “Cash” and “Shine On You Loopy Diamond.” He continued to look on albums and excursions that David Gilmour did as a solo artist or Floyd frontman in later years.
The dying was introduced by Gilmour on social media Friday afternoon.
“My pricey buddy Dick Parry died this morning,” the singer-guitarist wrote. “Since I used to be seventeen, I’ve performed in bands with Dick on saxophone, together with Pink Floyd.”
Gilmour continued, “His really feel and tone make his saxophone taking part in unmistakable, a signature of huge magnificence that’s identified to tens of millions and is such an enormous a part of songs corresponding to ‘Shine On You Loopy Diamond’… ‘Us and Them’ and ‘Cash.’”
“He performed within the final band I had that included [former Floyd keyboardist] Rick Wright for the On An Island Tour [in 2006] and at Reside 8 with Pink Floyd [the band’s one and only full reunion show, in 2005].”
Gilmour concluded his brief and candy message with an introduction to a photograph montage that confirmed simply how very far again he and the Suffolk-born Parry went: “Listed below are some photos of him, together with one in all him and me taking part in for the ABC Minors on the Victoria Cinema in Cambridge in 1963.”
Among the many different tasks Parry appeared on have been 1994’s “The Division Bell” album, recorded after the break up between Gilmour and Roger Waters, which featured his recognizable sax sound on “Sporting the Inside Out.” Parry toured with the newly reconstituted Floyd lineup that yr as nicely. Earlier, he had gone on the street with Floyd from 1973 by way of 1977.
An instance of Parry’s work could be discovered on this 1994 live performance model of “Cash,” beginning on the 2:07 mark:
Parry was well-known amongst some followers for strapping on two saxes directly on stage, to modify between a baritone and tenor partway by way of his “Shine On You Loopy Diamond” soloing.
Some well-known names chimed in with feedback on Gilmour’s Instagram publish, like Graham Nash, who wrote, “I’m very sorry on your loss, David.” Mentioned Merck Mercuriadis, “Thanks Mr. Parry for the music, condolences to all.”
In a publish wishing Parry a cheerful birthday in December 2024, Gilmour had referred to Parry as “one in all my oldest pals.”
In 1994, Gilmour talked about bringing Parry again into the fold for that yr’s album and tour. “I received a Christmas card from Dick [Parry] who I hadn’t seen for years, and who’d given up the saxophone fully and I believe was unemployed, residing in a village close to Cambridge, doing nothing,” he stated. “I knew that years in the past he had offered his saxophones and gone into being a farrier, shoeing horses. And he had apparently provided that up as nicely, and he had purchased himself one other saxophone a yr or so in the past, and he simply despatched me a Christmas card… I simply rang him as much as say ‘How are you doing?’ He was speaking to me about it and I had been fascinated with what to do about saxophone on the tour as a result of we weren’t going to want a whole lot of it, however we would have liked some.
“I requested him if he felt like auditioning for approaching the tour, to see if he nonetheless had his chops collectively, and he informed me that he thought he was taking part in higher than he’d ever performed. And I received him all the way down to the boat to have a little bit audition. And he performed about three phrases and myself and Bob [Ezrin] stated, ‘Wonderful, he’s nonetheless received it. Screw this auditioning enterprise. See if we are able to stick him on one thing.’… The one one we may consider that may be actually applicable for sax was ‘Sporting the Inside Out,’ so we put him on it. Increase, he’s received that tone. It’s unbelievable. You may acknowledge it immediately. And so he’s on the tour with us as nicely.”
Among the many different albums Parry appeared on have been John Entwistle’s “Mad Canine,” Rory Gallagher’s “Jinx” and Procol Harum guitarist Mick Grabham’s “Mick the Lad.”
He could be seen on Gilmour’s house video releases “David Gilmour in Live performance,” “Bear in mind That Night time” and “Reside in Gdańsk.”
