Richard William Wright

Richard Wright was an English musician who co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. He played keyboards and sang, appearing on almost every Pink Floyd album and performing on all their tours. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 as a member of Pink Floyd. Wright grew up in Hatch End, Middlesex, and met his future Pink Floyd bandmates Roger Waters and Nick Mason while studying architecture at the Regent Street Polytechnic, London. After being joined by frontman and songwriter Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd found commercial success in 1967 with their psychedelic debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Barrett was replaced by David Gilmour in 1968, who, along with Waters and Wright, took over songwriting. Wright contributed more as a singer-songwriter in the early years of the band, writing songs such as "Remember a Day", "See-Saw", "Summer '68" and "Stay". He later acted mainly as an arranger on compositions by Waters and Gilmour, adding his distinctive keyboard playing and backing vocals to songs such as "Echoes", "Time", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and "Comfortably Numb". Wright began to contribute less towards the end of the 1970s due to personal problems and creative conflicts with Waters. He left the band after touring The Wall in 1981, but rejoined as a session player in 1987 for A Momentary Lapse of Reason, after Waters had left the band. He rejoined full-time for The Division Bell in 1994, co-writing five songs on the album. Sessions with Wright during this period were later released on the 2014 album The Endless River. Away from Pink Floyd, Wright recorded two solo albums: Wet Dream in 1978 and Broken China in 1996. He was also briefly active in the pop duo Zee with Dave Harris of Fashion in 1984. Following Pink Floyd's Live 8 appearance in 2005, he became part of Gilmour's touring band, singing occasional lead vocals on songs such as "Arnold Layne" and "Wearing the Inside Out". Wright died from lung cancer at his home in London on 15 September 2008, aged 65. At the time of his death, he had been working on a new solo album, thought to comprise a series of instrumental pieces. He was survived by his third wife Millie Hobbs and his three children from his previous marriages. His death was mourned by his former bandmates and many other musicians and fans. Wright's jazz influences and distinctive keyboard playing were an important part of the Pink Floyd sound and legacy.