End Of An Era: An Open Letter From David Gilmour to Roger Waters, Fans And The Entire Progressive Rock Band Community

In an unprecedented move that has shaken the world of progressive rock, David Gilmour has published a heartfelt open letter addressed to Roger Waters, Pink Floyd fans, and the broader progressive rock community. The letter, titled “End of an Era,” is both a reflection on the band’s storied past and a gesture of reconciliation, gratitude, and closure. For a band whose music defined generations and whose inner conflicts often mirrored the turbulence of the times, this letter represents a moment of rare honesty and vulnerability.

A Personal Message to Roger Waters

At the core of the letter is Gilmour’s direct address to his longtime bandmate — and frequent adversary — Roger Waters. The relationship between the two has been well-documented: creative brilliance balanced against bitter disputes that ultimately fractured Pink Floyd. Yet Gilmour’s tone is neither bitter nor combative.

“Roger,” the letter begins, “for all the battles we’ve fought — both on stage and off it — I cannot deny that you have been the spark behind some of the greatest moments of my life. Together, we created music that outlived us, music that carried people through wars, heartbreaks, revolutions, and personal awakenings. No matter what came between us, nothing can erase the fact that we stood shoulder to shoulder at the edge of the unknown and brought those songs into the world.”

The letter does not shy away from acknowledging the wounds of the past. Gilmour admits that years of creative differences, legal disputes, and personal clashes have left scars. But he frames them as part of the larger Pink Floyd journey, one that could not have existed without both men’s opposing forces.

“The tension we carried may have broken us as individuals, but perhaps it’s what made the music timeless,” Gilmour reflects.

Gratitude to the Fans

After addressing Waters, Gilmour turns his focus to the millions of fans across the globe who have remained steadfast in their devotion.

“To the fans — you have been the true heartbeat of Pink Floyd. You bought our records when critics dismissed us. You filled stadiums when some said progressive rock was finished. You sang our lyrics louder than we ever did on stage. You turned our music into your own personal stories, and in doing so, you gave us a kind of immortality.”

He emphasizes the collective bond between artist and audience, suggesting that the fans carried Pink Floyd through its darkest times.

“When Roger left, when we stumbled, when the name Pink Floyd felt like it might collapse into silence, you never let go. You gave us the courage to carry on. For that, I am forever in your debt.”

A Reflection on the Progressive Rock Community

Gilmour also extends his words to the broader progressive rock community, acknowledging its unique role in pushing the boundaries of music.

“Prog has always been about daring to imagine beyond the obvious — to take risks, to stretch songs into journeys, to let sound and silence speak together. We were fortunate to stand alongside bands like Genesis, King Crimson, Yes, and Jethro Tull, each of us carving our own eccentric, sprawling visions. Together, we proved that rock could be poetry, theatre, and philosophy all at once.”

He admits that progressive rock is no longer the cultural force it once was, but insists its spirit remains alive.

“The era may have passed, but the ethos survives. Every young band experimenting with soundscapes, every listener who still gets lost in a twenty-minute suite — they are proof that the flame is still burning.”

Coming to Terms with the End

The most poignant section of the letter comes as Gilmour confronts the inevitable truth: Pink Floyd’s story has reached its natural conclusion.

“There will be no more reunions, no more tours, no more false hopes. That chapter is closed. And maybe it’s better this way. Pink Floyd should remain what it always was — something larger than life, untouchable, impossible to replicate.”

Yet he does not frame this as an ending in sorrow. Instead, he calls it a moment of peace.

“We have given the world enough. And in return, the world has given us more than we could ever have imagined. That exchange is eternal. It will outlive us all.”

A Call for Reconciliation

In a surprising turn, Gilmour hints at reconciliation with Waters — not musically, but personally.

“Roger, we may never share a stage again, but I hope we can share something more important — an acknowledgment of what we built together. We don’t have to agree on the past. We don’t have to erase the conflicts. But perhaps we can recognize that without each other, there would be no Dark Side of the Moon, no Wish You Were Here, no The Wall. And the world would be poorer for it.”

He closes with a line that echoes both finality and reconciliation:

“End of an era, yes. But not the end of respect. And never the end of the music.”

Reaction From Fans and Peers

Within hours of publication, the letter sparked a wave of responses across social media and music forums. Fans expressed overwhelming gratitude for Gilmour’s honesty, with many interpreting the letter as the closest thing to closure they would ever receive from the Pink Floyd saga.

Musicians from across the progressive rock spectrum also weighed in. Steve Hackett of Genesis praised the letter as “a beautifully human acknowledgment of the shared struggle we all faced in trying to make art in a turbulent world.” Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull called it “a dignified farewell, full of wisdom and grace.”

End of an Era, Beginning of a Legacy

The open letter from David Gilmour does not simply mark the end of a chapter — it solidifies Pink Floyd’s place in rock history as a story of genius, conflict, endurance, and transcendence. The band’s music may have been born from discord, but its legacy is one of unity, binding fans, musicians, and dreamers across generations.

As Gilmour himself wrote:

“We may no longer play together, but the music is still playing. And as long as it does, Pink Floyd lives on.”