Pink Floyd's Rick Wright dies at 65

[cdisantis83]

Nice to see this thread still on the front page. I walked by a large advertisement today in Chicago for Gilmour's upcoming "Gdansk" live album and saw Rick's image on there. Hopefully that release will provide a fitting tribute to his many talents.

 

[bonoz]

I think the thing that shatters me the most is that no one band/artist in my lifetime or when I've cared has died, like I like the Beatles, but John Lennon died in 1980, not my lifetime, and George died in what was it, like 2000? When I didn't care. This is the first time someone I've liked has died.

Our local rag gave him about 20 words, which was deplorable. But the other paper wrote a huge 800-word obituary, which was fantastic, and I'm going to try and write an obituary or letter to the editor of the other paper.

Great words from Gilmour



Our classic rock station is 104.3 as well

My thoughts exactly. This was a sort of a 'first' for me as well. I liked George Harrison but certainly not as much as this legend here. All this has just made me realise, and saddened me, that a lot of my favourite bands and musicians are in their 50's and 60's and the thought is scaring me. God forbid - they might start collapsin' one by one. I mean, I can hardly believe that our very own Bono is what? 48? my goodness me. It was only yesterday when he had just turned 40 - and 41 when that new album ATYCLB came out. Time bloody flies. But the thing about death is it can knock on your door any time - when you're 10, 20, 50, 60 or even 5.

 

[bonoz]

I just got back off holiday last night and found out this news, im really gutted. I'm the same as COBL_04 in that this is really the first musician whose work i've really appreciated has passed away. In my view he was criminally underrated as a pioneer of psychedelia in the 60s as well as the synthesiser; and two of my favourite Floyd tracks are Summer '68 and Stay - really different to more famous Floyd work. I really hope Gilmour, Waters and Mason have the good grace to do something together to pay tribute to Rick in the same way they (almost) did at Syd's concert.

I love the quote i read somewhere earlier - heaven's house band just got a little bit better. R.I.P. Rick

I think that the fact he was underrated only compounded my admiration for him. You always felt a bit special knowing you thought someone was a legend whom a lot of people don't give credit to or even know.

 

[bonoz]

I remember reading on U2tours during Vertigo leg 3 that Bono gave a shout-out to Rick when he was at one of the shows, I think thats pretty cool.

I imagine any sort of tribute event will be a while off; Syd's was I seem to remember. It would be really really nice to see Mason, Gilmour and Waters just doing something together, even if its just a song. I can only imagine that losing one of the band must surely put any bitterness or rivalry in some sort of context - Nick said in his statement something about realising your own mortality.

Do you know which concert in leg 3 it was? that's awesome if he did because I have never ever heard of Bono or the entire U2 ever say anything about Pink Floyd. I've often heard them talk about how they were so influenced by the Stones, or The Clash, Sex Pistols, etc. but never about Floyd.

 

[bonoz]

I was so, so shattered to hear this today. My psych teacher brought it up and I really was shattered. Such an incredibly talented musician, and he was definitely my favourite member of Pink Floyd. Criminally underrated as part of that band. Go and have a listen to Any Colour You Like, which is entirely a Wright compostion. It's magicianry. The piano part to Great Gig! Us and Them!! His work on Dark Side and Wish You Were Here is astonishing. Not to mention his vocals! The emotion he created in his two verses in Time, the double vocals with Dave on Echoes... a very sad, sad passing, and as phillyfan also pointed out, now we will never get that reunion. A very young age to die as well.

Listening to Any Colour You Like in honour of the man, and will fix the sig soon.

May he and his blessed keyboards rest in peace.

I totally agree with you. I don't want to say that other members didn't have an influence on the Pink Floyd sound, but Richard Wright had a big part to play in it. That sense of space rock, atmospheric sounds, psychedelia you got when you listened to Pink Floyd was in large part due to Wright's synths.

 

[MikeyJB]

Do you know which concert in leg 3 it was? that's awesome if he did because I have never ever heard of Bono or the entire U2 ever say anything about Pink Floyd. I've often heard them talk about how they were so influenced by the Stones, or The Clash, Sex Pistols, etc. but never about Floyd.

Yeah I believe it was Atlanta on Leg 3. U2tours says Bono thanked Rick for the Floyd reunion at Live8, obviously cos it drew so much attention towards the day. I just think its cool that Rick was there. I remember reading an interview with Gilmour after Live8 saying how he thought U2 played really well.

I've noticed that as well, that U2 have always been quiet about the Floyd - probably because they grew up out of the punk movement. But I remember reading somewhere, I think U2 by U2, that Bono heard the 'Animals' album in 1977 and told Edge he should buy an echo pedal.

 

[cobl04]

I've noticed that as well, that U2 have always been quiet about the Floyd - probably because they grew up out of the punk movement. But I remember reading somewhere, I think U2 by U2, that Bono heard the 'Animals' album in 1977 and told Edge he should buy an echo pedal.

Animals deserves much more than "buy an echo pedal"

 

[Slipstream]

As a massive Floyd fan I have now just come to be able to post something or let alone read anything in the media about him dying. I saw it on the BBC after it happened and I've avoided everything since. Yes, I'm in denial.