Richard William (Rick) Wright was an English musician, composer, singer, and songwriter. He was a founder member, keyboardist, and vocalist of Pink Floyd, performing on all but one of the group's albums and playing on all of their tours. Sadly, Wright died at home in London of cancer on this day in 2008 at the age of 65. Roger Waters said "it is hard to overstate the importance of his musical voice in the Pink Floyd of the '60s and '70s" and was happy that they had managed to reunite for Live 8. Nick Mason said Wright's contributions to Floyd were under-rated, and that his playing "was the sound that knitted it all together", comparing his "quiet one" status in the band George Harrison. David Gilmour called him "my musical partner and my friend", praised the ability of the two men's voices to blend, such as on "Echoes". Wright's death brought Pink Floyd to a formal end, with Gilmour re-iterating that it would be wrong to resume touring without him.
In his memory, check out the tribute video to Rick, above.