Doug Wright of Pink Floyd

[MdmeX]

LONDON, England (AP) -- Richard Wright, a founding member of the rock group Pink Floyd, died Monday. He was 65.
Richard Wright (right) and a reunited Pink Floyd earn cheers at 2005's Live 8.





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

[Historian]

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd was one of those really big bands emerging from the 1960s creative rock era in Britain. In fact, I played in a band once whose repertoire included "We Don't Need No Education," which I think was originally done by Pink Floyd. The only member of the group that really interested me in any way was David Gilmour.

While I was never really interested in the British rock scene (aside, of course, from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones), I always preferred the groups "Genesis" (whose original drummer was Phil Collins before he left the drums and became lead vocalist) and "Yes" when compared with "Pink Floyd." I also liked that one-hit group "Procol Harum" because of their "Whiter Shade of Pale" mega-hit.

[Gamma]

what about guitar oriented groups like the yardbirds w/ eric clapton, pre-disco bee gees, ziggy stardust, the who ....or even van morrison

[Historian]

what about guitar oriented groups like the yardbirds w/ eric clapton, pre-disco bee gees, ziggy stardust, the who ....or even van morrison

Gamma, thanks for spoiling my evening by reminding me that my memory is slowly going (LOL)!!

But you are correct, and I must admit to typing that reply above in haste, plus I am tired after a long day. Certainly the "Yardbirds" with its three super guitarists (at different times) Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page is certainly one of the most super of the super groups of the 1960s era! I have a couple of their stuff, but on LPs.

Then, there was "Cream" with Eric Clapton (and that outstanding bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker), and the "Who," although I have never been a fan of the Who's lead guitarist Pete Townshend -- I think he's more volume than talent.

I always loved Jimmy Page when he was with "Led Zeppelin" ("Stairway to Heaven" is a rock classic!). I also liked the stuff that the Australian group the Bee Gees was doing both before and after the Saturday Night Fever era!

Gamma, I have records and CDs by all of the groups mentioned here in this post (except for Van Morrison and David Bowie), but for some reason I completely forgot about them when I was typing my hurried first reply!

Thanks for the reminder!