The 1980s Superstar David Gilmour Discovered Thanks to a Mutual Friend: “I Did Think She Was Very Talented”

Stardom and success rarely come from just talent; they also come from who you know. This goes for every industry, especially the entertainment business. Trying to get a foot in the door in any arm of the entertainment business is like trying to penetrate an impenetrable shield. Though what makes all the difference in the pursuit is a connection, and David Gilmour once stepped into this role for the 1980s legend, Kate Bush.

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For up-and-coming artists, mentorships are invaluable. However, the musicians who are the mentees often have no immediate way to pay back the mentor in question. That being so, the young musicians often pay the favor forward to the next generation. David Gilmour did just that, as his mentors and or major connections were John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and years later, he became the pivotal connection for Kate Bush.

David Gilmour Discovered Kate Bush When She Was Only 15 Years Old

Recalling how he discovered Kate Bush, Gilmour told the BBC, “A guy I know called Ricky Hopper was a friend of Kate’s brother, and he came to me one day and said, ‘I’ve got this tape of this 15-year-old girl singing, and I think she’s talented.’ He played it to me, and I agreed that I did think she was very talented.”

“Her unusual vocal style and sound, I thought it was unlikely that record companies, A&R people would get it. I was not convinced that they would get it instantly…I chose two or three songs out of about 50 that she had, and I didn’t spend a long time choosing, I just sort of thought we’ll have one nice slow one, one sort of medium temperature, one like this…We’ll do those to releasable level so that they weren’t demos, so that they were actually properly ready-to-go tracks,” continued Gilmour.

Gilmour did this because he believed it was the best way to sell Kate Bush to the record companies. Needless to say, it worked, and it seemingly worked because one of those tracks was Bush’s first Billboard Hot 100 single, “The Man With The Child In His Eyes”.

Subsequently, David Gilmour produced Bush’s debut album, The Kick Inside. Upon its release, the album peaked at No. 3 in the United Kingdom, but failed to chart on the Billboard 200. Despite not charting on the Billboard 200, Kate Bush was still able to go on to become a major success in the United States and the world. A major success thanks to “Army Dreamers”, “Running Up That Hill”, and ultimately, David Gilmour.

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