Obituary

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Obituary; RICHARD WRIGHT dies
Topic Started: Sep 15 2008, 05:56 PM (105 Views)
briandade	Sep 15 2008, 05:56 PM Post #1
Forum Addict Posts: 1,066 Group: Moderator Member #61 Joined: January 31, 2007	RICK WRIGHT---R.I.P Pink Floyd keyboard player and founder member Richard Wright has died aged 65 from cancer. Wright appeared on the group's first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, in 1967 alongside lead guitarist Syd Barrett, Roger Waters and Nick Mason. Dave Gilmour joined the band at the start of 1968 while Barrett left the group shortly afterwards. Gilmour said: "He was such a lovely, gentle, genuine man and will be missed terribly by so many who loved him." Writing on his website, he added: "And that's a lot of people. Did he not get the loudest, longest round of applause at the end of every show in 2006?" Wright's spokesman said in a statement: "The family of Richard Wright, founder member of Pink Floyd, announce with great sadness that Richard died today after a short struggle with cancer. "The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this difficult time." He did not say what form of cancer the self-taught keyboard player and pianist had. Live 8 Wright, a founder member of The Pink Floyd Sound - and other previous incarnations including Sigma 6 - met Waters and Mason at architecture school. Richard Wright Wright rejoined Pink Floyd for the London Live 8 concert in 2005 Pink Floyd achieved legendary status with albums including 1973's The Dark Side Of The Moon, which stayed in the US album chart for more than a decade. Wright, known as Rick earlier in his career, wrote The Great Gig In The Sky and Us And Them from the album. Waters left the band in 1981, performing his last concert at London's Earls Court. Wright, together with Gilmour and Mason, continued to record and tour as Pink Floyd during the remainder of the 1980s and into the 1990s, releasing their last studio album - The Division Bell - in 1994. In 2005, the full band reunited - for the first time in 24 years - for the Live 8 concert in London's Hyde Park. Edited by briandade, Sep 15 2008, 05:58 PM.



Speed Triple	Sep 15 2008, 11:45 PM Post #2
Forum Addict Posts: 2,492 Group: Super mod Member #45 Joined: May 10, 2006	Just got in from work and heard the tragic news............ RIP Rick Wright I add this as a sincere thought............... So, farewell then, (Richard) Rick Wright, Self-taught virtuoso, And Keyboards King of The Floyd, You've now gone to that Great Gig In The Sky, See you on The Dark Side Of The Moon! (with apologies to E.J. Thribb) Rick (Speed Triple)



Speed Triple	Sep 16 2008, 11:21 PM Post #3
Forum Addict Posts: 2,492 Group: Super mod Member #45 Joined: May 10, 2006	Just to add a bit to BD's excellent obit......... Pink Floyd originally formed in 1965 as The Abdabs - Roger Waters, Richard Wright and Nick Mason with 3 others; Juliette Gale vocals, Clive Metcalfe bass, and Keith Noble also on vocals. The last 3 were unloaded by the band and replaced by Syd Barrett whilst at the same time becoming Pink Floyd, which came from a combination of Bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council's names, *not* as popularly suggested in an Urban Myth from the name of a handbag manufacturer! Please take note, Andrew Loog Oldham - late of NME. They got a residency in 1966 at the Marquee Club in London on Sunday afternoons, described as "spontaneous underground"..... They went on to play the same city's UFO Club and then got signed to Columbia Records. Top of the bill at the "Technicolour Dream" gig at Alexandra Palace on 29th April of the same year followed chart success of Arnold Layne, their first single. Barrett dominated these early years but with his mental condition deteriorating increasingly, he was asked to leave and Rick Wright took over most of the songwriting duties and produced a strongly percussive effort - the critically acclaimed and very successful "A Saucerful Of Secrets" - which included the sad swansong for Syd Barrett "Jugband Blues" Wright's contributions to the band were often overshadowed in later years by those of Waters and Gilmour, but none of us real fans will ever forget his considerable talents. Who cannot fail to be moved by the plaintive opening chords to Us And Them? I leave you with these few thoughts as it's time to revisit some early Floyd for me. Good Night :hat:



briandade	Sep 17 2008, 10:12 AM Post #4
Forum Addict Posts: 1,066 Group: Moderator Member #61 Joined: January 31, 2007	Just as a footnote:- Syd Barrett played his last gig with the band on Hastings Pier--on or about Jan 20th, 1968. The band were increasingly worried about Syd's mental state and just 'forgot' to pick him up for gigs from then on. Thanks for the credit on the original post Rick, but I'm afraid I copy/pasted from yahoo---forgot to credit the source--bit shocked at the time! :(



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