“We were at an EMI dinner, and David Gilmour was there. I said, ‘By far, you’re my favorite guitar player. How do you come up with those melodies?’” W.A.S.P.’s Blackie Lawless on the invaluable advice he received from the Pink Floyd icon

Left-Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. performs at The Regency Ballroom on December 09, 2022 in San Francisco, California; Right-David Gilmour performs live on stage at Madison Square Garden on April 12, 2016 in New York City.

Blackie Lawless is best known for his work with shock rock band W.A.S.P. Although a guitarist by trade, Lawless played bass on the band's debut album, W.A.S.P. (1984), and The Last Command (1985), due to a rotating lineup of bassists. However, his smooth transition back to guitar for their 1986 album Inside the Electric Circus was partly influenced by advice from Pink Floyd's David Gilmour at an industry dinner.

“I've heard other guitar players say they approach guitars like being a singer. My favorite guitar player is David Gilmour,” Lawless says in an upcoming Guitar World interview. “We were at an EMI dinner one night, and he was there. I started talking to him and said, ‘By far, you're my favorite guitar player. How do you come up with those melodies?’