Rick Wright dead at 65

Shine On, Rick!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSurg2GGvw0

Lacking the board to post on, I vented most of my feelings about this to BoaB on the phone last week... A real pity, and I'm sorry to see him go.

I'll skip the 'shine on' and 'great gig' comments, and just say 'goodbye.'

I've said my good-byes to some friends last week. It was rather unsettling that the board was not here at the time.

Rick was my 2nd favorite next to Syd and now they're both gone. I recently listened to PatGoD, reflecting on Syd and Rick's amazing work together. This is sad, but it was bound to happen.

R.I.P., Rick.

I was distraught about DFW, but didn't know if anyone here would care particularly.

"No one can replace Richard Wright. He was my musical partner and my friend.

In the welter of arguments about who or what was Pink Floyd, Rick's enormous input was frequently forgotten. He was gentle, unassuming and private but his soulful voice and playing were vital, magical components of our most recognised Pink Floyd sound. I have never played with anyone quite like him. The blend of his and my voices and our musical telepathy reached their first major flowering in 1971 on "Echoes". In my view all the greatest PF moments are the ones where he is in full flow. After all, without "Us and Them" and "The Great Gig In The Sky", both of which he wrote, what would "The Dark Side Of The Moon" have been? Without his quiet touch the Album "Wish You Were Here" would not quite have worked. In our middle years, for many reasons he lost his way for a while, but in the early Nineties, with "The Division Bell", his vitality, spark and humour returned to him and then the audience reaction to his appearances on my tour in 2006 was hugely uplifting and it's a mark of his modesty that those standing ovations came as a huge surprise to him, (though not to the rest of us).

Like Rick, I don't find it easy to express my feelings in words, but I loved him and will miss him enormously."

David Gilmour
Monday 15th September 2008

Roger Waters about Rick:

http://undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=6371

Its so sad to see such talent just die, I was listening to sheep the today and how beautiful the keyboard sounds in all pink floyd work. He wasn't the crazy diamond, but he sure as hell shined.

as a pink floyd fan i truly feel sad that rick wright passed away, but i feel alot worse knowing what roger waters did to him and not allowing him to be any part of the wall, it is truly shameful and shelfish of him to have him removed from the whole wall concept, i'm just glad that he was able to join and finish with the group that he along with nick mason and waters started back in 1965. RIP RICHARD WRIGHT, you will be missed but you will always be in our hearts thanks to the beautiful music you left us with.

I can't believe it. I mean, I don't even know what to say. This is a complete shock

RIP Rick. You will be missed!!



Shine on

Actually, that's not exactly what happened. They were all nearing bankruptcy due to poor investment decisions and back taxes, and needed the album finished in time for a Christmas release to secure a record company advance in order to maintain solvency. Rick couldn't effectively co-operate in order to do this. It wasn't just that Roger wouldn't allow him to do anything. Rick does play on the album and did play on the tour, however.

I truly regret not seeing Rick and Dave back when they came to Toronto in 2006, but at the time, I was also flat broke and could barely scrape together enough bread for bus fare to the venue, let alone a seat inside. So I sympathize with the need for desperate measures at desperate times (I probably would've done deplorable things to get in if I'd known it was my last chance to see Mr. Wright, ever).

Let me also add that at least three members of Pink Floyd (including Mr. Wright) have said that he did not contribute as much as they felt he could have.

I always like the story about how Rick was the only one to make any money on the Wall tour, because he was hired on as a musician Was thinking about it not too long ago, actually. I always thought it was cool.

I don't know though, I'm still kind of in shock. I had no idea he was sick and NEVER excpected to come to the forum and recieve this shocking news. I had no idea what to say, and I still really don't. It's very sad though. Very sad

a friend of mine told me at work and I had been on a call with a customer.. I couldn't even think because I was in shock. It is still hard to swallow, Rick RIP you will be sorely missed by all

First Syd then Rick, They really were two of a kind, no pun intended.