Richard Wright, a founding member of the rock group Pink Floyd, died yesterday. He was 65.

A spokesman for Pink Floyd said Wright died after a battle with cancer at his home.

Wright formed Pink Floyd with Roger Waters, Nick Mason and the late Syd Barrett in 1965.

The group's jazz-infused rock and drug-laced "happenings" made them darlings of the London psychedelic scene.

In the early days of Pink Floyd, Wright, along with Barrett, was seen as the group's dominant musical force. The London-born musician and son of a biochemist wrote songs and sang.

The band released a series of successful albums including 1973's Dark Side of the Moon, which has sold more than 40 million copies. Wright wrote The Great Gig in the Sky and Us and Them for that album.

But tensions grew between Waters, Wright and fellow band member David Gilmour. The tensions came to a head during the making of The Wall, when Waters insisted Wright be fired. As a result, Wright was relegated to the status of session musician on the tour. He left the band in 1985 but reunited with Waters, Mason and Gilmour to perform at the Live 8 charity concert in London.