sad day for old rockers...

tod evans

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here`s a copy-n-paste.....


LONDON (Sept. 15) - 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.
Richard Wright, Sept. 15: With Pink Floyd, he unleashed new sounds from his collection of synths and organs that gave the band its signature psychedelic sheen. Wright, who also wrote mammoth cuts like "Us and Them" for the band, died following a battle with cancer. He was 65Richard Wright, Sept. 15: The legendary keyboardist spent four decades with Pink Floyd, penning some of the band's most iconic songs.

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."
'The Great Gig in the Sky''Us and Them'

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.
 
Sorry to see this news. Pink Floyd has been part of the soundtrack to my life for a long time. I saw them in concert only once...at the Rose Bowl in the early 90s, promoting The Division Bell. It's strange to think of the rock heroes of my misspent youth being 65 years old.

A couple weekends ago LOML and I were at the LA County Fair, and in the course of walking around, I saw two guys wearing Pink Floyd t-shirts. Both guys looked like they were in their 60s, and I remarked to my wife how us old rockers are turning into dinosaurs.
 
It's sad to see, but some of my favorites have become my daughter's favorites. She goes into the cd cabinet and my albums have become hers.

Uncle Richard will be missed :)
 
I personally preferred Led Zepplan(sp? man it has been to long since I played/listened to him) and Styx over Pink Floyd, but sorry to hear it all the same.

I feel the same way. Styx is my all time favorite band, but Pink Floyd had its place and was a great all time band. Interestingly enough I felt like many of you last year when Hughie Thomoson of the Outlaws/Lynard Skynard died. Just another old rock and roll great gone.

It is interesting to note that the newer generation is actually getting into the older rock bands. Maybe their is hope for them after all. :)
 
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