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On or about July 7, 2006, Syd Barrett, co-founder of Pink Floyd died peacefully in his home. He was 60.
As I flipped through my digital photos of Syd Barrett, trying to figure out which ones to use for this article, I felt like I may weep, like someone preparing a eulogy for a deceased relative. My own music and outlook on life has been greatly influenced by the brilliance of this artist.
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In The Beginning
| Syd was born in 1946 with the name Roger Keith Barrett. He was later recognized for his musical talent as a young man and nicknamed "Sid", after a well known drummer in his hometown of Cambridge, England. He changed the spelling to "Syd" and it stuck. |
When Syd was a teenager, his father died of cancer. Some speculate that this was one of the events that triggered mental instabilities that eventually led to the rubicon that finally dragged him down. However, it has been said that in his youth, he was mostly a very upbeat and positive chap that everyone wanted to know. People would see him in the streets and say "Hey there goes Syd Barrett." He was a celebrity in the London area long before he became famous for forming what is known today as Pink Floyd. In the next few years of his life, he would form a band with his long -time friend Roger Waters. He would make his mark as both a legendary genius and as a dire casualty .
Hints of a Troubled Future |
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In 1965, Syd formed "The Pink Floyd." Their success at the UFO Club and various venues around London was swift and exciting. Syd had shown signs of erratic behavior about this time, and his use of LSD did nothing to quell the madness that stirred within and threatened to stifle his genuine creativity. During recording sessions of the band's first album Piper at the Gates of Dawn, his behavior became more and more of a concern. Keyboardist Richard Wright recalled that at one point, Syd had disappeared for a few days and had taken a dangerous amount of psychedelics. When he finally resurfaced, Wright indicated that the change that had come over Barrett was so profound that the former Syd was now gone. Roger Waters said that his eyes were like "black holes in the sky." |
By the time their second album A Saucerful of Secrets was underway, the band had to recruit an old friend David Gilmour as a second guitarist and vocalist. Syd had only one contribution: "Jugband Blues."
Things got worse and the band finally decided to stop picking Syd up for gigs.
The Solo Years
Syd began his first seclusion in which he managed to produce two solo albums: The Madcap Laughs and Barrett. Although former Pink Floyd band members helped create these pieces, they were not much success. |
Syd knew that he had problems. In his song "Dark Globe", he reflected on his own tragedy with these lyrics:
my head kissed the ground
I was half the way down, treading the sand
please, please, lift a hand
I'm only a person whose arm bands beats
on his hands, hang tall
won't you miss me?
Wouldn't you miss me at all?
Clearly, the man was aware of his sickness.
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The Crazy Diamond Resurfaces
In 1975, Pink Floyd was recording "Wish You were Here", an album dedicated their long lost companion; Syd Barrett. There was a man hanging around the studio that no one recognized. |
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This was a plump man with a shaved head, shaved eyebrows and a twitchy demeanor. Finally, in a moment of stark irony it was clear. This was Syd. Richard Wright said that he he was behaving like a madman, doing things like jumping up and down while brushing his teeth. A very dark and gripping sadness had come over the band. Wright commented that he did not know if this was fate or karma, but it was a very powerful event. It must have been quite mind boggling to work on this project, dedicating an entire album to Syd and to have him show up and say: "I'm ready to do my part."
The song "Wish You Were Here" is always a fresh reminder and a way for David Gilmour to relive his feelings for Syd. The song never gets old for him. "Welcome to the Machine" is a track that explains the stress that came with Barretts fame. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" appears to be a well-wishing goodbye to their dear friend and a beckoning request for him to pull himself out of the darkness that had now, quite obviously escalated to a point where Syd had to be institutionalized. |
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| Syd the Recluse |
| One can only hope that Syd Barrett was happy in the latter years of his life. After moving into the cellar of his mother's house in Cambridge, he was rarely seen, but when he was, he would tend to gardening or ride his bike to the store. For the most part, he avoided reporters and anyone that wanted to talk to him about his past. He used his birth name of Roger and did not want to be known as "Syd." Pink Floyd Made sure that Barrett received royalties for his songs and he was never without money. In his later years he listened to jazz, continued to go on his occasional bike rides and would mind his own business. It has been reported that he suffered from complications of diabetes, which may be what finally killed him, although there have been unconfirmed reports that he had cancer. He was a major influence to many people and has been loved for ages. This world lost him twice; he is gone, but far from forgotten. |
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