Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” was originally written in 1974 as a tribute to former band member Syd Barret, but seems as appropriate now, when one of the founding members of the British band has passed away at only 65. Richard Wright was fighting cancer and died in his London home on Monday morning, as announced by a band spokesman.

Ever since 1965, when the young self-taught pianist met Roger Waters and Nick Mason, the members of an obscure band oscillating between names like Sigma 6, the Megadeaths ,The Tea Set, The Architectural Abdabs, The Abdabs, and The Screaming Abdabs, they have been making history. The name finally remained “The Pink Floyd Sound,” after two blues musicians, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.

The year was 1965 and they were all students at the Regent Street Polytechnic College of Architecture. Decades later, millions of fans of all ages still listen to the music of Pink Floyd, some of them quietly and ceremoniously, others passionate and lively.

With the launching of their 1967 debut album, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn," the band was an instant success among the London underground psychedelic scene and their specific sound quickly became popular. Their mark was deep, symbolic and philosophical lyrics mixed with experimental sounds and instruments, as well as new use of electric equipment, such as stereo panning, tape editing, echo effects and electric keyboards, oscillators, percussions, and a whole range of uncommon noises, like Waters' primal screams in "Careful with That Axe, Eugene!"

After Barret was no longer a member, the others gradually developed their own styles within the group and did a little of everything, allowing them to take turns in performing and composing, although Roger Waters was the main songwriter and leader.

As years went by, Pink Floyd sang to millions about hunger, injustice, loneliness, violence, madness, fear and even politics, recurrent themes in many of their songs. From their first album, “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn,” going through one of the best selling and most beloved and critically acclaimed album of all times, 1979’s “The Wall,” and to the 1994 “Division Bell” they helped raise generations and create opinions.

Richard Wright, the man who wrote "The Great Gig in the Sky" and "Us and Them" from 1973's “The Dark Side of the Moon” released a solo album called “Wet Dream” in 1978 and was quickly forced by Waters to leave the band, which he did at that time, but came back after a not-so-successful attempt of forming a band, called Zee, following Waters' departure.

In 1996 he released another solo album, “Broken China” and in more recent times, he contributed keyboards and background vocals to David Gilmour's most recent solo album, “On an Island,” and performed with Gilmour's touring band, but never with Roger Waters.

The former members of Pink Floyd accepted to get together again on stage only once in the last three decades, at the 2005 Live 8 in London and now it seems, with Syd Barret and Richard Wright gone, the only thing the guys will ever be performing together is that famous Great Gig in the Sky.