Pink Floyd Guitarist to Donate Live 8 Profits
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pink Floyd (search) guitarist David Gilmour (search) says he will donate profits from his Live 8 (search) appearance to charity — and has urged other artists to do the same.
Retailers have reported a huge upsurge in Pink Floyd sales since the band reunited for Saturday's concert in Hyde Park.
The concert was one of 10 around the world designed to pressure leaders of the G-8 nations to strike a deal for impoverished African countries at their summit in Scotland this week.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}HMV said sales of Pink Floyd's album "Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd" had gone up by 1,343 percent since the weekend.
"Though the main objective has been to raise consciousness and put pressure on the G-8 leaders, I will not profit from the concert," Gilmour said in a statement Monday.
"If other artists feel like donating their extra royalties to charity, perhaps then the record companies could be persuaded to make a similar gesture and that would be a bonus," he said. "This is money that should be used to save lives."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Saturday's Pink Floyd set was the first time Gilmour, drummer Nick Mason, keyboard player Richard Wright and bassist Roger Waters had appeared onstage together since a concert at London's Earl's Court in 1981.