Musician David Gilmour was born on March 6, 1946, in Cambridge, England. He began playing guitar at a young age and became a session musician in his late teens. He was then approached to join Pink Floyd, which had already made its professional debut, and became a member in 1968. After Syd Barrett, who was the lead vocalist and guitarist at the time, was fired due to excessive drug use, Gilmour took over as guitarist and vocalist. His bluesy, airy backing is highly acclaimed, and his guitar solos on "Comfortably Numb" and "Money" are considered some of the most memorable in rock history. In addition to his band, he also pursued a solo career, releasing the album "David Gilmour" in 1978. In 2006, his first album in 22 years, "On an Island," reached number one in the UK. He is also active in collaborating with other musicians, and in the past has performed with Paul McCartney, Jon Lord of Deep Purple, Pete Townshend of The Who, and Brian May of Queen.