Remembering Richard Wright

Sad, somewhat unexpected news for a Pink Floyd fan like myself: Keyboardist Richard Wright, one of the founding members of the band, passed away yesterday at the age of 65 following a brief battle with cancer.

This is the sort of thing that hits me like a bolt out of the blue. Yes, we're caught amid the campaign rhetoric of a presidential election and the ongoing woes of Wall Street, but this cuts through all of that with that permanent bite that makes the political theater look as superfluous as it truly is.

We're here for a short time. We can fill our days with worry, or we can try to elevate those around us. Wright, and Pink Floyd, were a band that tried to do just that, looking beyond the surface angst to the deeper truth and sometimes suffering that are an essential part of being human. I cannot imagine my life to this point without them.

I'm putting the autumn show on hold for a week and digging through my vast Pink Floyd collection to cobble together my best attempt at a tribute. Richard ranks with Ray Manzarek in my eyes, someone who could take the monotone early electric keyboards and infuse them with soul and energy.

Forty years since "Summer '68." Thank you, Mr. Wright, for helping me make some sense of it all.

The show airs from 7-9PM Eastern on 91.5 FM in Boston, online at WMFO.org.