It is with much sadness that we bring you the news that Richard Wright passed away today, September 15th, 2008, after a short struggle with cancer.

It goes without saying that this gentle, modest and caring man will be greatly missed.

A founding member of the early Pink Floyd, his distinctive keyboard work was a cornerstone of the band's music, yet his contribution was of course so much greater than that, as a vocalist and songwriter, responsible for many significant pieces of music throughout the band's career.

Richard was born on July 28th, 1943 in Hatch End, London, and it was when he was studying at the Regent Street Polytechnic College of Architecture, that he met Roger Waters and Nick Mason. It was in 1963 that they formed Sigma 6 (also known as The Abdabs), and after a brief spell as Leonard's Lodgers, were known as The Pink Floyd Sound.

In the early days of Pink Floyd, Richard took a leading role along with Syd Barrett in songwriting and also vocal duties, either as lead or providing backing harmonies. As the band developed, Richard's unique style and subtleties lent itself perfectly to the longer pieces that Pink Floyd were exploring - A Saucerful Of Secrets, The Embryo, Interstellar Overdrive, and Echoes to name just four.

The live performances of the late sixties and early seventies found Richard, along with his fellow bandmates, taking these songs into whole new dimensions, leaving audiences spellbound each night.

As the band matured, Richard continued to make his mark with key contributions such as Us and Them, Great Gig In The Sky and Shine On You Crazy Diamond.

Towards the end of the 1970s, he released the first of two highly-regarded solo albums, Wet Dream. Turbulence in his private and professional life came during The Wall project, with Richard leaving the band officially, only to return back in 1987. In 1984, he formed a short lived musical partnership with Dave Harris from Fashion, releasing an album under the name Zee.

Richard seemed revitalised by A Momentary Lapse of Reason, and the subsequent touring, and this resulted in a number of songs on The Division Bell being co-written by him, and a return to lead vocals with Wearing The Inside Out.

In 1996, he released his much-loved second solo album, Broken China, which found Richard and a select group of top musicians exploring painful personal issues, with complex and compelling instrumentation throughout.

The 2005 Live8 concert saw Richard perform again with the rest of Pink Floyd to huge acclaim, and this was followed the next year with Richard's contributions to David Gilmour's solo album On An Island.

The accompanying tour featured a standing ovation for Richard every single night, with the warmth, respect and love of the audience for him clear to see.

His last concert appearance was 2007's tribute concert to Syd Barrett, held at London's Barbican, and he also appeared on stage during David's DVD launch in September of that year, where the band played Island Jam live.

He was a kind, gentle, very talented man, and will be sorely missed, by his friends, his family, and by his fans across the world. He is survived by his wife Millie, and three children. Rest in peace, Richard.