Rick Wright was an English musician, singer, and songwriter who had a net worth of $40 million at the time of his death in 2008. Also known as Richard Wright, he was a founding member and keyboardist of Pink Floyd and was instrumental in creating the atmospheric, psychedelic sound that became one of the band's defining characteristics. Although Roger Waters and David Gilmour eventually became Pink Floyd's most visible songwriters, Wright made major compositional contributions to the band's catalog, including "The Great Gig in the Sky" and "Us and Them" from "The Dark Side of the Moon." He also co-wrote "Echoes" and "Time" and contributed vocals, keyboards, organs, synthesizers, and piano throughout the group's career. Wright appeared on nearly every Pink Floyd studio album, including "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn," "Meddle," "The Dark Side of the Moon," "Wish You Were Here," "Animals," "The Wall," and "The Division Bell." He temporarily left the band during the turbulent making of "The Wall" but later returned, first as a touring musician and eventually again as a full member. Outside Pink Floyd, Wright released the solo albums "Wet Dream" and "Broken China."

Richard William Wright was born on July 28, 1943, in Middlesex, England. He grew up in the London area and became interested in music at an early age, learning piano, guitar, and trumpet.

Wright initially studied architecture at Regent Street Polytechnic, where he met fellow students Nick Mason and Roger Waters. The three began playing music together in a series of groups that eventually evolved into Pink Floyd.

Wright briefly attended the London College of Music, where he studied musical theory and composition. His formal musical knowledge would distinguish him from several of his bandmates and became an important element of Pink Floyd's increasingly sophisticated arrangements.

Wright was part of the lineup that developed into Pink Floyd alongside Waters, Mason, and Syd Barrett. In the band's psychedelic early years, Wright contributed songs including "Remember a Day," "See-Saw," and "Paint Box," while his organ and keyboard work became central to Pink Floyd's sound.

Following Barrett's departure and the arrival of Gilmour, the band moved toward increasingly ambitious progressive-rock compositions. Wright became especially important during this period. His keyboards provided much of the atmosphere on "Echoes," the lengthy composition that occupied the entire second side of the 1971 album "Meddle."

Pink Floyd's commercial breakthrough reached another level with 1973's "The Dark Side of the Moon." Wright wrote "The Great Gig in the Sky," which featured the famous wordless vocal performance by Clare Torry, and composed much of "Us and Them." He also co-wrote "Time."

The album was engineered by Alan Parsons and became one of the most commercially successful albums in music history. Wright's piano, Hammond organ, electric piano, and synthesizer work played a crucial role in its distinctive sound.

He remained central to 1975's "Wish You Were Here," contributing to the lengthy "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" suite. Wright later described "Wish You Were Here" as one of his favorite Pink Floyd albums.

The internal balance of Pink Floyd changed as Roger Waters assumed greater creative control during the late 1970s. Wright received no songwriting credits on 1977's "Animals," although his keyboards remained an important part of the album.

Relations deteriorated further during the creation of 1979's "The Wall." Wright and Waters clashed, and Wright ultimately left the band while the album was being completed.

The circumstances produced one of the stranger episodes in Pink Floyd's history. Although Wright was no longer officially a member, he was hired as a salaried musician for "The Wall" tour. Because the tour's enormous production costs reportedly caused the other members to lose money, Wright's fixed salary meant he was the only member of the four who actually made money from the concerts.

Wright did not participate in Pink Floyd's 1983 album "The Final Cut."

After Waters left Pink Floyd, Gilmour and Mason continued the band. Wright returned during the recording of 1987's "A Momentary Lapse of Reason," initially as a session and touring musician because of legal complications surrounding his previous departure.

He subsequently became a full member again and played a much larger role on 1994's "The Division Bell." Wright co-wrote several songs and sang lead vocals on "Wearing the Inside Out," his first lead vocal on a Pink Floyd studio album in decades.

"The Division Bell" was followed by a massive world tour documented on the live album and concert film "Pulse."

Pink Floyd was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

Wright released his debut solo album, "Wet Dream," in 1978. The record explored jazz and progressive-rock influences outside the increasingly tense environment within Pink Floyd.

In the 1980s, Wright formed the duo Zee with Dave Harris and released the album "Identity."

His second full-fledged solo album, "Broken China," arrived in 1996. The concept album dealt with depression and featured guest vocals from Sinéad O'Connor.

During the final years of his life, Wright became particularly close musically with Gilmour. He contributed to Gilmour's 2006 solo album "On an Island" and joined him on tour. Their performances frequently included "Echoes," allowing Wright to revisit one of the defining compositions of his Pink Floyd career.

In July 2005, Wright joined Gilmour, Waters, and Mason for Pink Floyd's performance at Live 8 in London's Hyde Park. The benefit concerts were organized by Bob Geldof and marked the first time the classic Pink Floyd lineup had performed together in more than two decades.

The reunion proved to be the last performance by Wright, Waters, Gilmour, and Mason together. Wright continued working with Gilmour afterward but did not live to participate in any further Pink Floyd reunion.

Wright was married three times. He married Juliette Gale in 1964, and they had two children, James and Gala, before divorcing. He later married Franka Wright, with whom he had a son, Ben. His third marriage was to Mildred "Millie" Hobbs.

Wright enjoyed sailing and owned several yachts during his life. His daughter Gala married musician Guy Pratt, who became Pink Floyd's longtime touring bassist following Roger Waters' departure.

Rick Wright died from cancer on September 15, 2008, at the age of 65. His death left Gilmour and Mason as the surviving members of Pink Floyd's post-Barrett lineup. Wright's influence remains particularly evident in the band's expansive keyboard textures, vocal harmonies, jazz-influenced chord progressions, and some of the most recognizable compositions in the Pink Floyd catalog.