Richard Wright (musician)

Richard William Wright (28 July 1943 – 15 September 2008) was an English musician who co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd.

He played keyboards and sang, appearing on almost every Pink Floyd album and performing on all their tours.

In 1962, uncertain about his future, Wright enrolled at Regent Street Polytechnic (later incorporated into University of Westminster) to study architecture.

At Regent Street Polytechnic, Wright met fellow musicians Roger Waters and Nick Mason, and all three joined a band formed by their classmate Clive Metcalf called Sigma 6.

Wright's position was initially tenuous, as he did not choose a definitive instrument, playing piano if a pub had one, otherwise settling on rhythm guitar or trombone.

Wright moved with Waters and Mason into a house in Stanhope Gardens, Highgate, and they began serious rehearsals to become a professional group.

Although Mason and Waters were competent students, Wright found architecture of little interest and after only a year of study moved to the London College of Music.

He took a break from studies and travelled to Greece for a sabbatical.

Their landlord, Mike Leonard, purchased a Farfisa electric organ and briefly replaced Wright in the band.

However, this organ became Wright's main instrument.

Through a friend, Wright arranged Pink Floyd's first recording session in a West Hampstead studio, just before Christmas 1964.

The guitarist Bob Klose and the guitarist and singer Syd Barrett joined the band, which became Pink Floyd.

Wright's first solo song, "You're the Reason Why", appeared in 1964 on Decca as the B-side of a single by Adam, Mike and Tim.

Pink Floyd stabilised with Barrett, Waters, Mason and Wright by mid-1965, and after frequent gigging that year became regulars on the underground circuit in London.

While Barrett was the dominant member, writing and singing most of the songs, Wright had an important supporting role, playing keyboards, singing harmony and contributing arrangements.

He also occasionally wrote and sang lead on songs.

As the most qualified musician technically, Wright was also responsible for tuning Barrett's guitars and Waters' bass during concerts.

Later on, he used a Strobotuner to tune guitars silently during gigs.

Before Pink Floyd acquired a full-time road crew, Wright acted as the primary roadie, unloading the gear and packing it up at each gig.

After being joined by frontman and songwriter Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd found commercial success in 1967.

Pink Floyd released their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn in 1967.

Though not credited, Wright sang lead on the Barrett-written songs "Astronomy Domine" and "Matilda Mother".

Examples of his early compositions include "Remember a Day", "See-Saw", "Paint Box" and "It Would Be So Nice".

Wright was close friends with Barrett, and at one point the pair shared a flat in Richmond, London.

Barrett was replaced by David Gilmour in 1968, who, along with Waters and Wright, took over songwriting.

Initially contributing more as a singer-songwriter, Wright later acted mainly as an arranger on compositions by Waters and Gilmour.

As well as playing Farfisa and Hammond organs and Kurzweil synthesisers, he sang regularly in the band and took lead vocals on songs such as "Remember a Day" (1968), "Time" (1973) and "Wearing the Inside Out" (1994).

Wright, whose father was head biochemist at Unigate, grew up in Hatch End, Middlesex, and was educated at the Haberdashers' Aske's School.

He taught himself to play guitar, trombone, trumpet and piano at the age of 12 while recuperating from a broken leg.

His mother encouraged him to concentrate on the piano.

He took private lessons in music theory and composition at the Eric Gilder School of Music and became influenced by the trad jazz revival, learning the saxophone along with his other instruments, but continuing to focus on piano.

He began to contribute less towards the end of the 1970s and left the band after touring The Wall in 1981.

He rejoined as a session player in 1987 for A Momentary Lapse of Reason, and rejoined full-time for The Division Bell in 1994.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 as a member of Pink Floyd.

Wright grew up in Hatch End, Middlesex, and met his future Pink Floyd bandmates Roger Waters and Nick Mason while studying architecture at the Regent Street Polytechnic, London.

Following Pink Floyd's Live 8 appearance in 2005, he became part of Gilmour's touring band, singing occasional lead vocals on songs such as "Arnold Layne".

Wright died from lung cancer in London in September 2008, aged 65.

Wright's jazz influences and distinctive keyboard playing were an important part of the Pink Floyd sound.

Sessions with Wright during this period were later released on the 2014 album The Endless River.

Away from Pink Floyd, Wright recorded two solo albums and was briefly active in the pop duo Zee with Dave Harris of Fashion.