Steve O'Rourke and the Band: Roger Waters Saw Him as Both Father Figure and Foe

Steve O’Rourke managed Pink Floyd from 1968 until his death in 2003, becoming so integral he was often called the “sixth member.” For most of the band, he was a trusted guardian—Nick Mason called him the band’s “policeman” and “banker,” and David Gilmour remained close with him for decades. But Roger Waters’ relationship with O’Rourke was a slow-burning arc from deep trust to bitter betrayal.

In the early years, Waters leaned on O’Rourke like a surrogate father. The two were especially tight during the making of The Wall and The Final Cut, when O’Rourke helped Waters push the band’s direction. However, after Waters left Pink Floyd in 1985, O’Rourke sided with the remaining members and helped them carry on as Pink Floyd without him. Waters felt O’Rourke had broken a personal promise and sued him along with Gilmour and Mason. In a 2013 interview, Waters said bluntly: “He became the enemy.” O’Rour