Richard "Dick" Parry

Richard "Dick" Parry was an English saxophonist whose voice on the tenor saxophone became one of the most recognizable sounds in rock music history — even if most of the millions who loved it never knew his name. Born on 22 December 1942 in Kentford, Suffolk, England, Parry grew up in Cambridge, where a teenage friendship with a young guitarist named David Gilmour would shape the entire arc of his musical life. Parry honed his craft in the Cambridge music scene through the 1960s, eventually fronting The Soul Committee, a local band that gave him his first professional stage. By the early 1970s, Gilmour — now the lead guitarist of Pink Floyd — reached out to his old friend, and Parry stepped into one of the most consequential session roles in rock. The result was The Dark Side of the Moon (1973). His tenor saxophone solos on "Money" and "Us and Them" were not mere embellishments; they became defining emotional pillars of an album that spent years on the charts and sold over 50 million copies. Two years later, his saxophone soared through "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" on Wish You Were Here (1975), cementing his place as an irreplaceable texture in Pink Floyd's sound. He performed live with the band throughout every tour between 1973 and 1977. When the touring cycle ended, Parry stepped away from music entirely. He lived quietly in a village near Cambridge for years, seemingly gone from the industry — until a Christmas card from Gilmour in 1994 brought him back. He recorded on The Division Bell that year and rejoined Pink Floyd for their subsequent world tour, and in 2005 stood on the Live 8 stage in Hyde Park for the band's legendary reunion performance, once again playing "Money" for an audience of hundreds of millions. He continued working with Gilmour on the 2006 On An Island world tour, adding saxophone, glass harmonica, and keyboards. Across six decades, Parry also toured with The Who's brass section, recorded with Rory Gallagher, John Entwistle, Banco de Gaia, and the Violent Femmes, demonstrating a versatility that stretched far beyond any single genre. Proficient on tenor, baritone, and alto saxophone, he brought an unmistakable feel and tone to every recording he touched. Dick Parry passed away on 22 May 2026 at the age of 83. He leaves behind a catalogue of music carried by hundreds of millions of people — and the quiet, enduring legacy of a true sideman who made the songs immortal.