David Gilmour says wife Polly Samson inspired him to get clean

Pink Floyd‘s David Gilmour is crediting his wife, Polly Samson, for helping him clean up his act.

In an interview with The Independent, Gilmour reveals that it was an ultimatum from Samson that prompted him to give up his hard-partying lifestyle in the ’80s.

“There was a time when I was letting things go, drinking too much, too much cocaine, all those sorts of things,” he said. “And in my life, that stopped when we [Polly and I] started, pretty much dead on at that time.”

Gilmour said that during the early ’80s he was having trouble dealing with “my pop group, my relationships and all those sorts of things,” noting, “I hit a really torturous time; I didn’t really notice if I was out of control, but I probably was.”

Turning to his wife of 30 years, he said, “I won’t call you a gift, Polly, but something came along into my life that was real, and she wouldn’t stand for it [drugs]. I just needed a little kick, really, in order to put it behind me.”

“I couldn’t do otherwise,” Samson added. “I was a single mother. It was, for me, non-negotiable, and I made that clear.”

Asked if his wife was his savior, Gilmour relied, “Yes, exactly that, and I haven’t been near any of those things for over 30 years. There aren’t many women who would have the strength that Polly had to deal with it.”

Polly then noted, “We saved each other’s lives.”

Gilmour’s new solo album, Luck and Strange, which features songs he co-wrote with Samson, comes out Friday. He has a series of live dates scheduled for this fall in Rome, London, LA and New York. A complete list of dates can be found at davidgilmour.com.