Syd Barrett
6 Jan 1946 - 7 July 2006

Roger Keith Barrett, hereon referred to by his better known nickname, Syd, was no ordinary 'sixties pop icon. His reputation was of mythical proportion, due mostly to the tribute paid him by his former Pink Floyd bandmates in the 1975 classic album cut Shine On You Crazy Diamond.

Those interested enough to look beyond 'Floyd's mega-stardom years should delve into the controversial LP that initially brought them world attention,1967's 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn'. The majority of the songs were written by Barrett, and one can hear what an enormous influence he had on the formative band. This was apparent not only in the original psychedelic impetus of the band but also by their constant referencing of his innovative vision long after his unceremonious departure just one year later. Clearly influenced by The Beatles, Stones, Love and The Byrds, jazz and the blues, he was further fuelled by the hallucinogenic drugs around at the time such as LSD. Barrett also refused to conform, musically or otherwise. What initially began as simple repetitive blues riffs expanded into something much grander, exemplified by the progressive rock staples Astronomy Domine and Interstellar Overdrive. With that success came the added responsibilities which lead to him penning two hit singles, Arnold Layne (which was banned at the time due to its lyrical content), and the more radio friendly See Emily Play.

Soon he began to neglect his duties by not turning up for either rehearsals or shows, or when he did, by opting to embarrassingly just stand there and not perform at all or choosing to play something entirely different to the others. This was often remedied by not turning his amp on and having long time friend, and soon to be replacement, Dave Gilmour, play his parts from the wings. Barrett went on to release two solo albums in the early 'seventies: 'The Madcap Laughs' and 'Barrett', both of which are bone-fide classics in their own right, though neither made any commercial impact. This was the last we were to hear of any new material until 1988's much welcomed 'Opel', a collection of old rarities and outtakes.

Barrett had reportedly long since become a recluse in his mother's basement, with sadly the only recent sightings being photos of a cheerless, bloated bald man circulated over the Internet. Barrett was a piper, a painter, a legend and later, a complete stranger who truly wore out his welcome with random precision after being caught in the crossfire of childhood and stardom. Shine on Syd.

Steve Jones