The Time David Gilmour Almost Joined Whitesnake

Over the years, Whitesnake had their lineup changes in many instances. The band was joined by several musicians who eventually left or were replaced, but there’s one rock icon who almost became a member, and that was David Gilmour.

In the recent appearance of David Coverdale on the Rockonteurs podcast, the singer recalled his conversation with the Pink Floyd guitarist about joining his Whitesnake. Coverdale explained:

“I was at a party at Ian Paice’s house a lifetime ago and David [Gilmour] comes up to me.
“He says, ‘David, may I ask you, am I joining Whitesnake?’ I said, ‘I don’t know. But I read in the fucking Daily Mirror that Jimmy Page is joining and we haven’t spoken.”

Coverdale remembered being shocked by Gilmour’s question. Rumors were circulating at that time and as Coverdale recalled Gilmour “heard he was joining Whitesnake and he needed confirmation.”

Although the conversation wasn’t serious, Gilmour joked about being open to the possibility of him joining Coverdale’s band. The Whitesnake rocker jokingly said:

“Pinksnake!
“Come on, I’m in.”

Coverdale’s Thoughts About Being Back on The Road

During Whitesnake’s European leg in 2022 as part of their farewell tour, Coverdale was forced to cancel the shows due to continuing health issues. When asked about his possible return on tour, Coverdale confessed:

“I don’t know.
“It’s so interesting, this aging shit. I still have issues with my shoulders. This is the rotator cuff. The blessing of arthritis… It really will depend on my health.”

Meanwhile, even though Coverdale is not currently touring, he recently released a deluxe edition of The Purple Album, as an honor of the 50th anniversary of his run with Deep Purple.