Pink Floyd’s official Instagram account shared a photo of Roger Waters and a message celebrating his 83rd birthday, surprising fans given the band’s ongoing public dispute involving Waters, David Gilmour, and Gilmour’s wife Polly Samson, who is believed to control the band’s social media.
Pink Floyd’s message read: “Many happy returns to Roger Waters, who celebrates his 83rd birthday today. One of the founding members of Pink Floyd, he left in late 1985 to pursue a successful solo career, including some spectacular live presentations such as the more than 200 date The Wall Live. Happy birthday, Roger!”
Fans reacted with disbelief in the comments. One wrote: “Wow, did you get Polly Samson’s permission to make this post?” Another joked: “Oh, Rog has stolen the password to the account now, hasn’t he?” A third simply said: “Pink Floyd posting about Roger?!?!? That’s not possible.”
The surprise post landed against the backdrop of one of rock’s longest-running feuds. Waters’ split from Pink Floyd in 1985 set off years of tension with David Gilmour. The dispute has been reignited in recent years by public arguments over politics, Israel, and Ukraine.
David Gilmour has said he will never perform with Waters again. He made clear that there is no chance of a reunion. The latest flashpoint came after Polly Samson publicly accused Waters of being “antisemitic to his rotten core” and called him a “Putin apologist” in 2023.
Waters denied the accusations. He said he was aware of Samson’s “incendiary and wildly inaccurate comments.” Samson said she spoke out because she did not want any confusion about which Pink Floyd member she was married to.
Samson has also worked as a lyricist on Pink Floyd material, including songs on the 1994 album The Division Bell. That has helped keep her closely tied to the band’s public image. The feud between Waters and Gilmour has remained unresolved.
Waters’ career with Pink Floyd began in the late 1960s, when he became one of the group’s central creative voices. He left in late 1985 after years of internal conflict. He later built a long solo career that included large-scale productions like The Wall Live, which Pink Floyd referenced in its birthday message.
