NEW YORK (UPI) -- Pink Floyd founding member and keyboardist Rick Wright has died of cancer at the age of 65, his family said Monday.

"The family of Richard Wright, founder member of Pink Floyd, announce with great sadness that Richard died today after a short struggle with cancer," Wright's spokesman told Rolling Stone magazine. "The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this difficult time."

Wright was one of the rock band's original members, along with the late Syd Barrett, Roger Waters and Nick Mason.

The London-born musician played with the group until a falling out with Waters after "The Wall" in 1979. Wright later rejoined the band when David Gilmour took over after Waters departed in the early 1980s.

Wright also played with the band when it reunited in 2005 for the Live 8 concert in London and had recently performed with David Gilmour on his solo tour, Rolling Stone said.

NME.com noted Wright worked on all but one of the band's 14 studio releases, including "The Dark Side Of The Moon" in 1973.

"He was such a lovely, gentle, genuine man and will be missed terribly by so many who loved him," the BBC said Gilmour wrote on his Web site. "And that's a lot of people. Did he not get the loudest, longest round of applause at the end of every show in 2006?"

Wright is survived by his wife Millie and three children, NME.com said.