On This Day, Dec. 19, 2012: Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason saved London music store

Friday, December 19, 2025 at 11:30 AM

On This Day, Dec. 19, 2012 ...

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason opened his wallet to save Foote's, the London music store where he bought his first drum kit. Foote’s was about to go out of business, so Mason provided the funding it needed to stay open.

“One of my great memories of being a young, budding drummer was going to the original [Foote’s] ... and buying my very first kit for £7.50,” he told Britain’s ITV news.

Unfortunately, the store closed down in 2022 after more than 100 years in business.

Pink Floyd recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of their ninth studio album, Wish You Were Here, by reissuing it with 25 bonus tracks, including six tracks that had never been released before. It was released as a three-LP or two-CD set, as well as digitally, with the original album newly mixed in Dolby Atmos.