 16/09/2008 David Gilmour led tributes to fellow Pink Floyd member Rick Wright, who died on Monday aged 63. The songwriter and keyboardist died in his home after losing his battle to cancer.
Wright met band members Roger Waters and Nick Mason in college, creating the early band Sigma 6 and becoming Pink Floyd in 1965 when the late Syd Barrett joined.
Before Barrett became another victim of the acid generation and left the band, Pink Floyd’s music was a contortion of jazz-laden rock with lashings of trippy English psychedelica. Think pagans and the Wicker Man and Stone Henge and stuff.
They became one of the most popular English bands in 1967 with their legendary album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
Following Gilmour’s inclusion in the band and Barrett’s exit, Pink Floyd’s success continued in the 70s, most notably with their 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. The groundbreaking album has sold over 40 million copies and has been cited as one of the most influential albums of all time.
Guitarist and singer/songwriter David Gilmour, who Wright had continued to support as a solo artist, paid tribute to his friend and band mate yesterday.
"He was gentle, unassuming and private,” Gilmour commented, “but his soulful voice and playing were vital, magical components of our most recognized Pink Floyd sound. I have never played with anyone quite like him." |
