A Legacy of Richard Wright

It was the 1960's and early 70's. The Vietnam war was in the air, young men graduating high school were filled with mixed emotions of fear and anxiety over whether they would be lucky or not, would they win the lottery with a high number or would they be one of the first called. Ugly stories and rumors of things that went on, booby traps, jungle fighting with a nearly invisible enemy. It was an ugly war and to the young adult it was an awakening to the real world. Peace and Love were the words, symbols, and spirit of the day, but the possibility of going off to fight was reality.

A voice called from the confusion and the chaos of the day, a voice of music which filled the air of nearly every young adult's room. Names like Moody Blues, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, and of course the voices of Richard Wright and the other founding members of Pink Floyd. As Pink Floyd began, Richard Wright mastered the latest instrument of music, the synthesizer, and from this new instrument he created flowing notes, echos, and new sounds never before heard in music.

The music and the sounds however were only the foundation for voices of those who called out with a semblance of light in what appeared to be a dark world. Voices from Moody Blues and Pink Floyd seemed to carry a hidden message of understanding, words that could give a grasp on something solid. Words that could stimulate the mind and open the heart, but also words that reached out and said it is OK to fear, it is OK to be different. It is OK to be human, to have feelings, to put love before career, it is Okay to follow your heart.

One Legacy to Richard Wright and the rest of the members of Pink Floyd was their instrumental role in bringing to millions of young, scared, and confused kids a way to stand up in a crazy world. They provided a crutch, so to speak, upon which to lean on during dark hours. They provided a source of answers to questions the world wasn't ready to hear, or refused to listen to.

Something few of us hear often enough, and you probably never heard it enough, to all those who not only provided entertainment, but in the process you set fire to our imaginations, you woke our minds up, you provided a light at the end of what seemed like a long dark tunnel, Thank You. You provided what was needed by so many, at a time it was needed.