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Rickey Wright, music critic and all-around genius, died of a stroke in Seattle on Thursday. I didn’t know Rickey personally—I followed his byline and occasionally ran into him online in one way—but if you take just a few minutes to read about him today online, it’s easy to see how his death has affected people in the online music community.
Wright was an editor for Amazon for some time (that job brought him to Seattle), and his work appeared in publications like USA Today, the Village Voice, Blender, Harp, and the Seattle Weekly. He also won the 1999 Rhino Music Aptitude Test, a fact that seems somewhat trivial at first glance, but if you’ve actually seen the test or some of the people who have failed it miserably, you realize what a testament to his musical knowledge that accolade really is.
Besides all that, Wright just seemed like a good guy, opinionated and knowledgeable while remaining kind and friendly, even to those he might not ever meet face to face. Ned Raggett has a tribute to Wright that is far better than this brief one, and there is a Facebook group collecting memories and remembrances of Wright as well. Wright was 45.
Former Pilot Music Writer Rickey Wright Dies [Hampton Roads Pilot]
Jesus, that’s sad. I used to read his stuff in our local paper all the time.
Thanks Dan. I encourage everyone to read a far better tribute than mine from a good friend and former coworker of his — it is the type of honest, loving assessment we should all be so fortunate to receive, and to deserve:
[amsterbeth.vox.com]
Many close friends of mine who knew him well are torn up about this. Rightly so.
holy shit. i didn’t know him personally, but we chatted on ILX now and again and I used to read his blog. so random, and so sad. what’s the world coming to?
Thanks, Dan, Rickey was a dear friend, and I miss him and his great curiosity.