Dick Parry, Pink Floyd Saxophonist, Dies at 83

Dick Parry died on May 22, 2026, at age 83. The news was posted on Instagram by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. No cause of death was disclosed.

Rolling Stone

Born in Kentford, Suffolk (Dec 22, 1942), Parry began his professional career in the early-1960s with the Cambridge-based Soul Committee. He met David Gilmour in Cambridge; Parry was seventeen when they first performed together.

Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour Announces Death of “Dear Friend” and Longtime Bandmate

Parry’s sax solos appear on “Money” and “Us and Them” from *The Dark Side of the Moon* (1973) and on “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and “Wish You Were Here” from *Wish You Were Here* (1975). He returned for *The Division Bell* (1994), playing on “Wearing the Inside Out,” and on the live album *Pulse* (1995). He toured with Pink Floyd from 1973-1977, rejoined for the 1994 tour.

Deadline Hollywood

Parry recorded with John Entwistle (*Mad Dog*, 1975), Rory Gallagher (*Jinx*, 1982), Lightnin’ Slim, the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (*Let’s Make Up and Be Friendly*, 1972), and performed with The Who’s brass section on their 1979-1980 tours. He also appeared on releases by Bloodstone, Mick Grabham and the Violent Femmes (2009 European tour).

Deadline Hollywood

Parry’s sax parts contributed to “Money,” which reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 (1973); *The Dark Side of the Moon* topped the Billboard 200 for one week (1973); and *Wish You Were Here* held the No. 1 spot for two weeks (1975). Historians cite his tone as a defining element of Pink Floyd’s sound, heard by millions.

Billboard

Gilmour’s Instagram post praised Parry’s unmistakable tone and highlighted their collaboration since age seventeen, his contributions to key Pink Floyd tracks, and his participation in the 1994 tour and Live 8. In a later interview Gilmour described auditioning Parry for the 1994 tour, noting that Parry’s brief three-phrase performance convinced him that the saxophonist still possessed his signature sound.

Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour Announces Death of “Dear Friend” and Longtime BandmateRolling StoneVariety MagazineBillboardDick Parry, Pink Floyd Saxophonist, Dead at 83

All sources agree that the cause of death has not been disclosed and that no details about surviving family members have been released.

Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour Announces Death of “Dear Friend” and Longtime Bandmate

• “My dear friend Dick Parry died this morning.” — David Gilmour, Instagram post

Rolling Stone

• “Since I was seventeen, I have played in bands with Dick on saxophone, including Pink Floyd.” — David Gilmour, Instagram post

Billboard

• “His feel and tone make his saxophone playing unmistakable, 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,’ ‘Wish You Were Here,’ ‘Us and Them’ and ‘Money.'” — David Gilmour, Instagram post

Rolling Stone

• “Boom, he’s got that tone. It’s fantastic. You can recognize it straight away,” — David Gilmour, interview about the 1994 audition

Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour Announces Death of “Dear Friend” and Longtime Bandmate