Pink Floyd member Richard Wright dies age 65

Πέθανε στην ηλικία των 65 ετών ο Ρίτσαρντ Ράιτ, ένα από τα ιδρυτικά μέλη του συγκροτήματος Pink Floyd. Ο μουσικός -έπαιζε πιάνο και κίμπορντς- έχασε τη σύντομη μάχη με τον καρκίνο. Ο εκπρόσωπος του Ρ.Ράιτ δήλωσε σύμφωνα με το BBC: «Η οικογένεια του Ρίτσαρντ Ράιτ, ιδρυτικού μέλους των Pink Floyd, ανακοινώνει με λύπη της ότι ο Ρίτσαρντ πέθανε σήμερα μετά από σύντομη μάχη με τον καρκίνο». Το θρυλικό συγκρότημα ίδρυσαν το 1965 οι Ρότζερ Γουότερς, Σιντ Μπάρετ, Ρίτσαρντ Ράιτ και Νικ Μέισον και δύο χρόνια αργότερα κυκλοφόρησε το πρώτο τους άλμπουμ The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, με τη συμμετοχή του Ρ.Ράιτ. Μέχρι τα τέλη της δεκαετίας του 1960 το συγκρότημα είχε γίνει γνωστό για τον ψυχεδελικό χαρακτήρα των τραγουδιών του, ωστόσο η ασταθής συμπεριφορά του Σιντ Μπάρετ οδήγησε τα υπόλοιπα μέλη του συγκροτήματος να τον αντικαταστήσουν με τον Ντέιβιντ Γκίλμουρ. Ο Ρίτσαρντ Ράιτ υπήρξε μέλος των Pink Floyd έως το 1981. Έγραψε αρκετά τραγούδια για το συγκρότημα, ενώ είχε σημαντική συμμετοχή στο άλμπουμ Dark Side of The Moon. Μετά από κάποιες σόλο προσπάθειες επέστρεψε στο συγκρότημα το 1987, όπου παρέμεινε μέχρι το θάνατό του.

AP Photo: In this file photo dated March 3, 1967, members of the rock band Pink Floyd,...

By MEERA SELVA, Associated Press

LONDON - Richard Wright, a founding member of the rock group Pink Floyd, died Monday. He was 65.

Pink Floyd's 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 member's 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 group's jazz-infused rock and drug-laced multimedia "happenings" made them darlings of the London psychedelic scene, and their 1967 album, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn," was a hit.

In the early days of Pink Floyd, Wright, along with Barrett, was seen as the group's dominant musical force. The London-born musician and son of a biochemist wrote songs and sang.

The band released a series of commercially and critically successful albums including 1973's "Dark Side of the Moon," which has sold more than 40 million copies. Wright wrote "The Great Gig In The Sky" and "Us And Them" for that album, and later worked on the group's epic compositions such as "Atom Heart Mother," "Echoes" and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond."

But tensions grew between Waters, Wright and fellow band member David Gilmour. The tensions came to a head during the making of "The Wall" when Waters insisted Wright be fired. As a result, Wright was relegated to the status of session musician on the tour of "The Wall," and did not perform on Pink Floyd's 1983 album "The Final Cut."

Wright formed a new band Zee with Dave Harris, from the band Fashion, and released one album, "Identity," with Atlantic Records.

Waters left Pink Floyd in 1985 and Wright began recording with Mason and Gilmour again, releasing the albums "The Division Bell" and "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" as Pink Floyd. Wright also released the solo albums "Wet Dream" (1978) and "Broken China" (1996).

In July 2005, Wright, Waters, Mason and Gilmour reunited to perform at the "Live 8" charity concert in London — the first time in 25 years they had been onstage together.

Wright also worked on Gilmour's solo projects, most recently playing on the 2006 album "On An Island" and the accompanying world tour.