Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett Dies
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 2:14 amFloyd's Syd Barrett Dies
Updated: 15:46, Tuesday July 11, 2006
Pink Floyd founding member Syd Barrett has died, aged 60.
The guitarist, singer and lyricist formed the band in 1965 and was one of its biggest songwriting talents in its early days.
But his behaviour became erratic, and he split with the band in 1968.
He has since lived reclusively in Cambridge.
A spokeswoman for Pink Floyd said: "He died very peacefully a couple of days ago. There will be a private family funeral."
In recent years Barrett reverted to his birth name, Roger Keith Barrett.
He created Pink Floyd with old friend Roger Waters, and became a huge star at the age of 21.
But he could hardly perform during his final days with the band, because he was taking so much of the drug LSD.
When his drug-fuelled behaviour became too much, the band drafted in Dave Gilmour as guitarist, and decided not to pick Barrett up for gigs.
Waters wrote the song Shine On You Crazy Diamond, with the lyrics "Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun. Shine on you crazy diamond. Now there's a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky" about the star.
A statement on behalf of the band said: "The band are naturally very upset and sad to learn of Syd Barrett's death.
"Syd was the guiding light of the early band line-up and leaves a legacy which continues to inspire."
At Live 8, when Pink Floyd reunited without Barrett last year, Waters sang Wish You Were Here, which was originally a tribute to Barrett.
Barrett is thought to have named the band after two little-known bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council, as his record collection was found to include their recordings.
Updated: 15:46, Tuesday July 11, 2006
Pink Floyd founding member Syd Barrett has died, aged 60.
The guitarist, singer and lyricist formed the band in 1965 and was one of its biggest songwriting talents in its early days.
But his behaviour became erratic, and he split with the band in 1968.
He has since lived reclusively in Cambridge.
A spokeswoman for Pink Floyd said: "He died very peacefully a couple of days ago. There will be a private family funeral."
In recent years Barrett reverted to his birth name, Roger Keith Barrett.
He created Pink Floyd with old friend Roger Waters, and became a huge star at the age of 21.
But he could hardly perform during his final days with the band, because he was taking so much of the drug LSD.
When his drug-fuelled behaviour became too much, the band drafted in Dave Gilmour as guitarist, and decided not to pick Barrett up for gigs.
Waters wrote the song Shine On You Crazy Diamond, with the lyrics "Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun. Shine on you crazy diamond. Now there's a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky" about the star.
A statement on behalf of the band said: "The band are naturally very upset and sad to learn of Syd Barrett's death.
"Syd was the guiding light of the early band line-up and leaves a legacy which continues to inspire."
At Live 8, when Pink Floyd reunited without Barrett last year, Waters sang Wish You Were Here, which was originally a tribute to Barrett.
Barrett is thought to have named the band after two little-known bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council, as his record collection was found to include their recordings.
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