In a tender reveal that’s melting hearts and flooding timelines worldwide, Gabriel Gilmour – the low-key son of Pink Floyd icon David Gilmour – has catapulted his family’s storied legacy into the spotlight with the joyous announcement of his first child. The 28-year-old filmmaker and musician, born in 1997 to David and his wife, the acclaimed novelist and lyricist Polly Samson, shared a single, soul-stirring photo on Instagram early this morning from a sun-dappled Manhattan rooftop. There, cradled gently in the arms of his beaming grandfather David, was a newborn bundle wrapped in a soft, star-embroidered blanket – a nod, perhaps, to the cosmic riffs that defined the elder Gilmour’s career. Gabriel’s radiant smile, captured mid-laugh beside his partner, told a story of nine months’ quiet anticipation finally blooming into unbridled bliss. But what truly set the internet ablaze? The baby’s name: Lyra Polaris Gilmour. A celestial tribute to David’s legendary guitar solos in “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and the infinite wonders of the night sky, evoking the ethereal vibes of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. #LyraGilmour is already trending at No. 1 globally, with fans dubbing it “the most rock ‘n’ roll baby name since Ziggy Stardust.”

Gabriel, who has carved his own path in the arts – directing indie shorts like the critically lauded Echoes of the Wall (a subtle homage to Pink Floyd’s Berlin ’90 concert) and providing ethereal backing vocals on his father’s 2024 solo album Luck and Strange – kept the pregnancy under wraps with the precision of a master editor. No bump selfies, no gender reveals, just a sacred cocoon of privacy amid the Gilmour-Samson clan’s storied Sussex countryside home. “We’ve waited for this moment, letting it unfold like a slow-burn track,” Gabriel captioned the post, his words laced with the poetic flair inherited from Polly, whose lyrics have infused Pink Floyd’s later works with literary depth. The image, shot by family friend and photographer Gavin Elder (who helmed David’s recent music videos), shows David – at 79, still the epitome of rock royalty with his silver mane and soulful gaze – gazing down at little Lyra with a wonder that rivals his onstage awe during “Comfortably Numb” solos. Polly, ever the matriarch, appears in a follow-up story, her hand tenderly on Gabriel’s shoulder, whispering, “Our family’s constellation just got brighter.”

The announcement hit like a supernova. Within minutes, the post racked up 2.3 million likes, with comments pouring in from across generations. “From ‘Wish You Were Here’ to ‘Welcome, Little Star’ – David, you’re glowing brighter than your Strat!” gushed Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, who once jammed with Gilmour at a charity gig. Roger Waters, David’s longtime Pink Floyd collaborator-turned-frenemy, broke a decade of radio silence with a rare olive branch: “To the Gilmour clan: May Lyra’s cries echo the wild side of the moon. Peace.” Even non-rock luminaries chimed in – Emma Watson, a fan of Polly’s novels, wrote, “Lyra Polaris? It’s like His Dark Materials meets The Division Bell. Congrats to the whole magical family!” On X, the frenzy unfolded in real-time: memes of Lyra’s blanket morphing into album art, fan art of the infant wielding a tiny guitar, and threads dissecting the name’s astronomy ties (Lyra is a harp-shaped constellation, Polaris the North Star – fitting for a lineage that navigates fame’s dark side). One viral tweet read: “David Gilmour: Rock god. Grandfather: Even better. Lyra’s first lullaby? ‘Hey You’ on acoustic. #GrandpaGilmour.”

Gabriel’s journey to fatherhood mirrors the quiet resilience of the Gilmour ethos – talent tempered by humility, creativity unbound by expectation. Born the third child of David and Polly’s union (following adopted son Charlie, now a poet and activist, and brother Joe, a sound engineer who’s mixed tracks for Radiohead), Gabriel grew up on a 17th-century astrological observatory in England, where stargazing sessions with his dad sparked a lifelong love for storytelling through lens and lens flare. A graduate of London’s National Film and Television School, he’s helmed docs on environmental causes – echoing David’s fervent activism via his Planet Re:Think foundation – and even scored a short film with samples from unreleased Pink Floyd tapes. His partner, the enigmatic artist and set designer Elara Voss (the “danh tính mẹ đứa bé” fans sleuthed out via tagged location metadata), met him on the set of a 2022 music video for Harry’s House-era Harry Styles. The duo bonded over shared sketches of interstellar dreams, marrying in a low-key Sussex ceremony last year with David officiating via guitar serenade. Elara, 27, whose ethereal installations have graced Tate Modern exhibits, revealed in a joint statement: “Lyra arrived at 4:17 a.m. on November 14, under a harvest moon – a perfect Pink Floyd omen. We’re over the moon (pun intended).”

For David, this milestone caps a year of triumphs and transitions. The guitarist, whose stratospheric bends on The Wall and Animals redefined progressive rock, dropped Luck and Strange in September 2024 to rave reviews – his first No. 1 in decades, featuring cameos from son’s Joe and Gabriel, plus daughter Romany’s haunting folk vocals on “Between Two Points.” Offstage, he’s been a pillar for his eight children from two marriages: four with ex-wife Ginger (Alice, Clare, Sara, and Matthew, all thriving in arts and modeling) and the blended brood with Polly. Becoming a grandfather – the first among them – feels like “the ultimate encore,” David shared in an exclusive chat with Rolling Stone. “Holding Lyra, I saw echoes of my own wild youth, but softer, purer. Gabriel’s done us proud – he’s got Polly’s words, my chords, and a heart big as the Thames.” Polly, whose novel A Very Expensive Poison earned Booker nods, added: “David’s always been our North Star. Now, Lyra is ours. We’ve got lullabies to write.”

The ripple effect? A surge in Pink Floyd streams (up 45% on Spotify overnight), vinyl reissues of Wish You Were Here spiking at indie shops, and fan-led “Lyra Listening Parties” popping up from LA to Liverpool. Charities close to the family, like Nordoff and Robbins (music therapy for kids), saw donations double, with David pledging proceeds from a one-off “Grandpa’s Gig” at the Royal Albert Hall next spring – guest spots for the grandkids included. Critics call it a full-circle moment: the man who sang of time’s inexorable march in “Time” now cradles its newest verse. As Gabriel posted a follow-up reel – Lyra’s tiny hand grasping David’s callused finger – one line stood out: “Nine months of secrets, a lifetime of songs. Welcome to the show, little one.”

In an age of overshared milestones, the Gilmours remind us: Some magic is worth the wait. Lyra Polaris Gilmour isn’t just a baby; she’s a bridge between Floyd’s psychedelic past and a harmonious future. As David might riff, in the grand symphony of life, every new note shines on.

For more on the Gilmour family’s celestial joy, follow @GabrielGilmour and visit pinkfloyd.com for legacy updates. Who’s ready for Grandpa Gilmour’s next solo?