Pink Floyd member Richard Wright dies age 65
Tuesday 16th September, 06:09 AM JST
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LONDON \Richard Wright, a founding member of the rock group Pink Floyd, died Monday. He was 65.
Pink Floydfs spokesman Doug Wright, who is not related to the artist, said Wright died after a battle with cancer at his home in Britain. He says the band memberfs family did not want to give more details about his death.
Wright met Pink Floyd members Roger Waters and Nick Mason in college and joined their early band, Sigma 6. Along with the late Syd Barrett, the four formed Pink Floyd in 1965.
The groupfs jazz-infused rock and drug-laced multimedia ghappeningsh made them darlings of the London psychedelic scene, and their 1967 album, gThe Piper at the Gates of Dawn,h was a hit.
In the early days of Pink Floyd, Wright, along with Barrett, was seen as the groupfs dominant musical force. The London-born musician and son of a biochemist wrote songs and played the keyboard.
gRickfs keyboards were an integral park of the Pink Floyd soundh said Joe Boyd, a prominent record producer who worked with Pink Floyd early in its career.
The band released a series of commercially and critically successful albums including 1973fs gDark Side of the Moon,h which has sold more than 40 million copies. Wright wrote gThe Great Gig In The Skyh and gUs And Themh for that album, and later worked on the groupfs epic compositions such as gAtom Heart Mother,h gEchoesh and gShine On You Crazy Diamond.h
But tensions grew between Waters, Wright and fellow band member David Gilmour. The tensions came to a head during the making of gThe Wallh when Waters insisted Wright be fired. As a result, Wright was relegated to the status of session musician on the tour of gThe Wall,h and did not perform on Pink Floydfs 1983 album gThe Final Cut.h
Wright formed a new band Zee with Dave Harris, from the band Fashion, and released one album, gIdentity,h with Atlantic Records.
Waters left Pink Floyd in 1985 and Wright began recording with Mason and Gilmour again, releasing the albums gThe Division Bellh and gA Momentary Lapse of Reasonh as Pink Floyd. Wright also released the solo albums gWet Dreamh (1978) and gBroken Chinah (1996).
In July 2005, Wright, Waters, Mason and Gilmour reunited to perform at the gLive 8h charity concert in London\the first time in 25 years they had been onstage together.
Wright also worked on Gilmourfs solo projects, most recently playing on the 2006 album gOn An Islandh and the accompanying world tour.
Gilmour paid tribute to Wright Monday, saying his input was often forgotten.
gHe was gentle, unassuming and private but his soulful voice and playing were vital, magical components of our most recognized Pink Floyd sound,h he said. gI have never played with anyone quite like him.h
source:
japantoday