Pink Floyd Founding Member Passes Away

Riding the Red Line into Hollywood this morning a track from David Gilmour's On an Island made its way into my ears. As I sat there half asleep listening to the guitar hero uncharacteristically blow his sax, I picked up on the somber mood of the tune and attributed it to Richard Wright's majestic keyboard playing, so subtle yet so brilliant. The original Pink Floyd founder passed away from cancer today at his home in Britain. He was 65.

I was lucky enough to see Gilmour and Wright perform together at the Gibson on April 20, 2006 in a smoke filled intimate setting, a far cry from Floyd's previous stadium tour in 1994 when they wowed the Rose Bowl. This was different, sweet actually. Two old musicians who know each other like they know each note in the Pink Floyd catalog, and two old friends who like to play those songs and remember when.

Rest in peace, Richard Wright. Say hi to Syd.

AP file photo