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{{Infobox musical artist
| Name = Syd Barrett
| Img = Syd.jpg
| Img_size =
| Background = solo_singer
| Birth_name = Roger Keith Barrett
| Alias =
| Born = [[6 January]] [[1946]]<br>{{flagicon|England}} [[Cambridge]], [[England]]
| Died = [[7 July]] [[2006]] (age 60)<br>[[Cambridge]], [[England]]
| Instrument = [[Guitar]], [[Singer|Vocals]], [[Bass guitar|Bass]], [[Slide guitar]], [[Ukelele]], [[Mandolin]], [[Banjo]]
| Genre = [[Psychedelic rock]]<br>[[Psych folk]]<br>[[Space Rock]]
| Occupation = [[Musician]]<br>[[Singer-Songwriter]]
| Years_active = [[1964 in music|1964]] - [[1974 in music|1974]]
| Label = [[Harvest Records|Harvest]]/[[EMI]]
| Associated_acts = [[Pink Floyd]]<br>[[Stars (UK band)|Stars]]
| URL =
}}
'''Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett''' ([[6 January]] [[1946]] – [[7 July]] [[2006]]) was an [[England|English]] singer, songwriter, guitarist, and artist. He is best remembered as a founding member of [[Pink Floyd]]. He was active as a rock musician for about ten years before going into seclusion, from which he never publicly emerged for over thirty years, until his death in 2006.
==Early
Barrett was born in [[Cambridge]], [[England]] to a well-off middle-class family. His father, Arthur Max Barrett, was a prominent pathologist, and both he and his wife, Winifred, encouraged the young Roger (as he was known then) in his music. His father died of cancer on [[11 December]] 1961, less than a month before Barrett's 15th birthday. He attended [[Cambridgeshire High School for Boys]], now known as [[Hills Road Sixth Form College]] in Cambridge and enrolled in [[Camberwell College of Arts|Camberwell art school]] in [[South London]] in 1964 before forming his first band in 1965. Barrett acquired the nickname "Syd" at the age of 14, a reference to an old local Cambridge drummer, Sid Barrett. Syd Barrett changed the spelling in order to differentiate himself from his namesake. During this pre-Floyd time he wrote such tunes as "Effervescing Elephant" to play at local parties (it is rumored that he wrote "Effervescing Elephant" at age 16).<ref> [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=aHNv8gNnyyk4&refer=uk Bloomberg.com] Pink Floyd Founder `Syd' Barrett Dies of Diabetes (Update2) Accessed July 2006 </ref><ref> [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19770013-16947,00.html The Australian] Obituary - Accessed July 2006 </ref>
==Musical career==
===Pink Floyd years (1965–1968)===
Starting in 1964, the band that would become Pink Floyd underwent various line-up and name changes such as "The Abdabs", "The Screaming Abdabs" (Which was also used as a fake name on Pink Floyd Bootlegs), "Sigma 6" and "The Meggadeaths" (not to be confused with [[Megadeth]]). In 1965, Barrett joined them as "The Tea Set", and when they found themselves playing a concert with a band of the same name, Barrett created the name "The Pink Floyd Sound" (later "The Pink Floyd"). He devised the name "Pink Floyd" by juxtaposing the first names of [[Pink Anderson]] and [[Floyd Council]] whom he had read about in a sleeve note by [[Paul Oliver]] for a 1962 [[Blind Boy Fuller]] LP (Philips BBL-7512): ''"Curley Weaver and Fred McMullen, (...) Pink Anderson or Floyd Council—these were a few amongst the many blues singers that were to be heard in the rolling hills of the [[Piedmont (United States)|Piedmont]], or meandering with the streams through the wooded valleys"''.
While Pink Floyd began by playing cover versions of American [[R&B]] songs (in much the same vein as contemporaries [[The Rolling Stones]], [[The Yardbirds]] and [[The Kinks]]), by 1966 they had carved out their own style of improvised rock and roll, which drew as much from improvised [[jazz]] as it did from British pop-rock, such as that championed by [[The Beatles]]. In that year, a new rock concert venue, the [[UFO Club|UFO]], opened in [[London]] and quickly became a haven for British [[psychedelic music]]. Pink Floyd, the house band,<ref>{{cite web | last = Exploring 20th century London | title = 20th Century London: Youth Culture & Fashion | url = http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/server.php?show=nav.36 | accessdate = 2007-05-11 }}</ref> was their most popular attraction, and, after making appearances at the rival [[The Roundhouse|Roundhouse]], became the most popular musical group of the so-called "[[UK underground|London Underground]]" psychedelic music scene.
By the end of 1966 Pink Floyd had gained a reliable management team in Andrew King and [[Peter Jenner]]. The duo soon befriended American expatriate [[Joe Boyd]], who was making a name for himself as one of the more important entrepreneurs on the British music scene. Boyd produced a recording session for the group in January 1967 at Sound Techniques in Chelsea, which resulted in a demo of the single ''[[Arnold Layne]]''. King and Jenner took the song to the recording behemoth [[EMI]], who were impressed enough to offer the band a contract, under which they would be allowed to record an album. The band accepted. By the time the album was released, ''Arnold Layne'' had reached number 20 on the British singles charts (despite a ban by the BBC) and a follow-up single, ''[[See Emily Play]]'' had done even better, peaking at number 6.
These first two singles, as well as a third (''Apples and Oranges''), were written by Syd Barrett. Barrett wrote most of the Floyd's early material, and was the principal visionary/author of their critically acclaimed 1967 debut album, ''[[The Piper at the Gates of Dawn]]''. The album's title was taken from the mystical "Pan" chapter of ''[[The Wind in the Willows]]''. Of the 11 songs on ''Piper'', Barrett wrote eight and co-wrote another two.<ref>EMI Records Ltd., "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" insert</ref> He was also an innovative [[guitar]]ist, with [[extended techniques]] he was exploring the musical and sonic possibilities of [[Consonance and dissonance|dissonance]], [[distortion]], [[Audio feedback|feedback]], the [[echo machine]], tapes and other effects; his experimentation was partly inspired by free improvisation guitarist [[Keith Rowe]]. One of Barrett's trademarks was playing his [[Fender Esquire]] guitar by sliding a [[Zippo lighter]] up and down the fret-board through an old echo box to create the mysterious, otherworldly sounds that became associated with the group. Barrett was known to have used [[Binson]] delay units to achieve his trademark echo sounds.
[[Image:PinkFloyd-album-piperatthegatesofdawn.jpg|thumb|left|''[[The Piper at the Gates of Dawn]]'' (1967)]]
''The Piper at the Gates of Dawn'' was recorded intermittently between January and July 1967 in Studio 2 at Abbey Road Studios. At that same time at Abbey Road the Beatles were recording ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' in Studio 1 and the Pretty Things were recording ''[[S.F. Sorrow]]''. When ''Piper'' was released in August of that year, it became a smash hit in the UK, hitting #6 on the British album charts (the album was not nearly so successful in the USA). However, as the band began to attract a large fanbase, the pressures on Barrett contributed to his experiencing increasing psychiatric illness.
Barrett's behaviour became increasingly unpredictable, partly as a consequence of frequent experimentation with psychedelic drugs such as [[LSD]]. Many report having seen him on stage with the group, strumming on one chord through the entire concert, or not playing at all<ref>{{cite web | last = Economist.com | title = Syd Barrett, obituary | url = http://www.economist.com/obituary/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7188674 | accessdate = 2007-06-18 }}</ref>. At a show at [[The Fillmore|The Fillmore West]] in [[San Francisco]], during a performance of ''[[Interstellar Overdrive]],'' Barrett slowly detuned his guitar. The audience seemed to enjoy such antics, unaware of the rest of the band's consternation. Before a performance in late 1967, Barrett apparently crushed [[Mandrax]] and an entire tube of [[Brylcreem]] into his hair, which subsequently melted down his face under the heat of the stage lighting, making him look like "a guttered candle".<ref>Schaffner, p. xv</ref> Nick Mason later disputed the Mandrax portion of this story, stating in the Barrett biography, ''Madcap'', that "Syd would never waste good mandies".
Following a disastrous abridged tour of the [[United States]], [[David Gilmour]] (a school friend of Barrett's) was asked to join the band as a second guitarist to cover for Barrett as Barrett's erratic behavior prevented him from performing. For a handful of shows David played and sang while Barrett wandered around on stage, occasionally deigning to join in playing. The other band members soon tired of Barrett's antics and, in January 1968, on the way to a show at [[Southampton University]], the band elected not to pick Barrett up. They attempted to retain him in the group as a songwriter, much as The [[Beach Boys]] had with [[Brian Wilson]], but this proved impractical.
There are many stories about Barrett's bizarre and intermittently [[psychotic]] behavior — some are known to be true. According to Roger Waters, Barrett came into what was to be their last practice session with a new song he had dubbed "Have You Got It, Yet?". The song seemed simple enough when he first presented it to his bandmates, but it soon became impossibly difficult to learn: while they were practising it, Barrett kept changing the arrangement. He would then play it again, with the arbitrary changes, and sing "Have you got it yet?". After more than an hour of trying to "get it", they realised they never would and that they were simply bearing the brunt of Barrett's rather obtuse sense of humour{{Fact|date=June 2007}}.
Barrett did not contribute any material to the band after ''[[A Saucerful of Secrets]]'' was released in 1968. Of the songs he wrote for Pink Floyd after ''Piper'', only one ("[[Jugband Blues]]") made it to the band's second album; one became a less-than-successful single ("Apples and Oranges"), and two others ("[[Scream Thy Last Scream]]" and "[[Vegetable Man]]") were never officially released. Barrett supposedly spent some time outside the recording studio, waiting to be invited in (he also showed up to a few gigs and glared at Gilmour). Barrett played slide guitar on "[[Remember a Day]]" (which had been recorded during the ''Piper'' sessions) and (according to a 1993 ''[[Guitar World]]'' interview with Gilmour) also played on "[[Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun]]". His main contribution to the album, "[[Jugband Blues]]," is often seen by Pink Floyd fans as Barrett's admission that his days in the band were probably numbered ("It's awfully considerate of you to think of me here/And I'm most obliged to you for m-making it clear/that I'm not here", the song opens). In March 1968 it was officially announced that he was no longer a member of Pink Floyd.
===Solo years (1968–1972)===
[[Image:Sydbarrett-madcaplaughs.jpg|thumb|left|''[[The Madcap Laughs]]'' (1970)]]
After leaving Pink Floyd, Barrett distanced himself from the public eye. However, at the behest of EMI and [[Harvest Records]], he did have a brief solo career, releasing two mercurial solo albums, ''[[The Madcap Laughs]]'' and ''[[Barrett (album)|Barrett]]''. Much of the material on both albums dates from Barrett's most productive period of songwriting, late 1966 to mid 1967, and it is believed that he wrote few new songs after he left Pink Floyd.
The first album, ''The Madcap Laughs'', was recorded in two distinct sessions, both at Abbey Road Studios: a few tentative sessions took place between May and June 1968 (produced by Peter Jenner), while the bulk of the album was recorded between April and July 1969. The record was produced first by Malcolm Jones, a young EMI executive, and then by David Gilmour and Roger Waters. In "The Making of the Madcap Laughs" by Malcolm Jones, he states "when Dave came to me and said that Syd wanted him and Roger to do the remaining parts of the album, I acquiesced." A few tracks on the album feature overdubs by members of the band [[Soft Machine]]. Barrett also played guitar on the sessions for his close friend and [[Soft Machine]] founder [[Kevin Ayers]]' debut LP ''[[Joy of a Toy]]'', although his performance on "Religious Experience" was not released until the album was reissued in 2003.
[[Image:Sydbarrett-barrett.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Barrett (album)|Barrett]]'' (1970)]]
The second album, ''Barrett'', was recorded more sporadically than the first, with sessions taking place between February and July 1970. This effort sounds more polished than the first, but Barrett was arguably in a worse state. The album was produced by David Gilmour and featured Gilmour on bass guitar, Rick Wright on keyboard and [[Humble Pie]] drummer [[Jerry Shirley]].
Despite the numerous recording dates for his two solo albums, Barrett undertook very little musical activity between 1968 and 1972 outside the studio. On [[24 February]] [[1970]], he appeared on [[John Peel]]'s [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] radio program ''[[Top Gear (Music show)|Top Gear]]'' playing five songs - only one of which had been previously released. Three would be re-recorded for the ''Barrett'' album, while the song ''Two of a Kind'' was a one-off performance (the song appears on the 2001 compilation ''[[The Best of Syd Barrett: Wouldn't You Miss Me?]]'') with the lyrics and composition having since been credited to Richard Wright. Barrett was accompanied on this session by David Gilmour and Jerry Shirley who played bass and percussion, respectively.
Gilmour and Shirley also backed Barrett for his one and only live concert during this period. The gig took place on [[6 June]] [[1970]] at the Olympia Exhibition Hall, London, and was part of a "Music and Fashion Festival". The trio performed four songs, playing for less than half an hour, and because of poor mixing, the vocals were inaudible until part-way through the last number. At the end of the fourth song, Barrett unexpectedly but politely put down his guitar and walked off the stage.
Syd Barrett made one last appearance on BBC Radio, recording three songs at their studios on [[16 February]] [[1971]]. All three came from the ''Barrett'' album, and were presumably aired to encourage people to buy the record. At this stage, though, Barrett seemed to have little interest in recording music, and even less interest in performing it live. After this session, he would take a hiatus from his music career that lasted more than a year.
===Later years (1972–2006)===
In 1972, Barrett formed a short-lived band called [[Stars (UK band)|Stars]] with ex-[[Pink Fairies]] member [[Twink (musician)|Twink]] on drums and Jack Monck on bass. Though the band was initially well received, one of their gigs at the [[Cambridge Corn Exchange|Corn Exchange]] in [[Cambridge]] proved to be disastrous (Monck describes just how disastrous it was in a TV interview in 2001 for the BBC Omnibus series documentary 'Crazy Diamond'). A few days after this final show, Twink recalled that Barrett stopped him on the street, showed him a scathing review of the gig they had played, and quit on the spot.<ref>[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Madcap-Half-Life-Barrett-Floyds-Genius/dp/190409550X Madcap: The Half-Life of Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd's Lost Genius] by Willis, Tim (Short Books, 2002) ISBN 1-904095-24-0</ref> However, John Hill-Turner remembers his girlfriend Mary Jane Walton-Bell subsequently asking [[Stars (UK band)|Stars]] to play what turned out to be their final disastrous (lunchtime) session at their café, The Dandelion, in City Road, Cambridge and believes this to be the last time Syd played with [[Stars (UK band)|Stars]]. In fact the band played only one number before Barrett withdrew to the back garden and rode round on a white bicycle for a while before leaving.
In August 1974, Peter Jenner convinced Barrett to return to [[Abbey Road Studios]] in hope of recording another album. However, little became of the sessions, which lasted three days and consisted of blues rhythm tracks with tentative and disjointed guitar overdubs (the only titled track is ''If You Go, Don't Be Slow''). Once again, Barrett withdrew from the music industry. He sold the rights to his solo albums back to the record label, moved into a London hotel and when the money ran out he walked back to Cambridge to live in his mother's basement. Further attempts to bring him back (including one endeavor by [[The Damned]] who wanted him to produce their second album) were all fruitless. Until his death, Barrett still received royalties from his work with Pink Floyd from each compilation and some of the live albums and singles that had featured his songs; Gilmour has commented that he (Gilmour) "[made] sure the money [got] to him all right".
====''Wish You Were Here'' sessions====
Syd Barrett had one noted reunion with the members of Pink Floyd in 1975 during the recording sessions for ''[[Wish You Were Here (album)|Wish You Were Here]]''. Barrett attended the Abbey Road session unannounced, and watched the band record "[[Shine On You Crazy Diamond]]" — as it happened, a song about him. By that time, Barrett had become quite overweight, had shaved off all of his hair, including his eyebrows, and his ex-bandmates did not at first recognise him (one of the photographs in Nick Mason's book ''[[Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd]]'' appears to have been taken that day; it is captioned simply: Syd Barrett, 5th June 1975). Eventually, they realised who he was and [[Roger Waters]] was so distressed that he was reduced to tears. A reference to this reunion appears in the film ''[[Pink Floyd The Wall (film)|Pink Floyd The Wall]]'' (1982), where the character 'Pink,' played by [[Bob Geldof]], shaves off his eyebrows (and body hair) after succumbing to the pressures of life and fame.
In an interview for the 2001 BBC Omnibus documentary 'Syd Barrett: Crazy Diamond" (later released on DVD as ''[[The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story]]''), the story is told in full. [[Rick Wright]] spoke about the session, saying: "One thing that really stands out in my mind, that I'll never forget; I was going in to the "Shine On" sessions. I went in the studio and I saw this guy sitting at the back of the studio, he was only as far away as you are from me. And I didn't recognise him. I said, 'Who's that guy behind you?' 'That's Syd.' And I just cracked up, I couldn't believe it... he had shaven all his hair off... I mean, his eyebrows, everything... he was jumping up and down brushing his teeth, it was awful. And, uh, I was in, I mean Roger was in tears, I think I was; we were both in tears. It was very shocking... seven years of no contact and then to walk in while we're actually doing that particular track. I don't know – coincidence, karma, fate, who knows? But it was very, very, very powerful". In the same documentary, [[Nick Mason]] stated: "When I think about it, I can still see his eyes, but... it was everything else that was different". In that same interview, Roger Waters has said: "I had no idea who he was for a very long time". David Gilmour stated : "None of us recognised him. Shaved...shaved bald head and very plump". In the 2006 'definitive edition' DVD release of ''The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story '' in the UK/Europe
the director John Edginton's interviews with Barrett's former Floyd colleagues are included unedited, with far more detail of their feelings and actions during Syd Barrett's tragic breakdown and withdrawal from the band.
====Compilations====
[[Image:Syd barrett-opel.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Opel (album)|Opel]]'' (1988)]]
In 1988, EMI Records released an album of Barrett's studio outtakes and previously unreleased material recorded from 1968 to 1970 under the title ''[[Opel (album)|Opel]]''. The disc was originally set to include the unreleased Barrett Pink Floyd songs "[[Scream Thy Last Scream]]" and "[[Vegetable Man]]", which had been remixed for the album by Malcolm Jones. However, the two songs were pulled (reportedly by the remaining members of Pink Floyd) before ''Opel'' was finalized.
In 1993 EMI issued another release, ''[[Crazy Diamond]]'', a box set of all three albums, each loaded with further out-takes from his solo sessions that illustrated vividly Barrett's inability or refusal to play a song the same way twice.
EMI also released ''The Best of Syd Barrett: Wouldn't You Miss Me?'' in the UK on [[April 16]] [[2001]], and in the United States on [[September 11]] [[2001]]. This was the first time his song "Bob Dylan Blues" was ever officially released, taken from a demo tape that David Gilmour had kept after an early 1970s recording session.
A number of [[Pink Floyd discography#Bootlegs|bootleg]] LPs, CDs and other recordings of Barrett's live and solo material exist.
====Beyond the music====
According to a 2005 profile by a recent biographer Tim Willis, Barrett, who had reverted to using his original name of Roger, continued to live in his late mother's semi-detached home in [[Cambridge, England|Cambridge]], and had returned to his original art-form of [[painting]], creating large abstract canvases. He was also said to have been an avid [[gardening|gardener]]. His main point of contact with the outside world was his sister, Rosemary, who lived nearby. While reclusive, it was his physical health that prompted most concern, being afflicted with [[stomach ulcer]]s and [[Diabetes mellitus type 2|type two diabetes]].<ref>{{ cite news | url = http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/the_madness_and_majesty_of_pink_floyd| work = Rolling Stone | date=[[2007-04-05]] | title = The Madness and Majesty of Pink Floyd | first = Mikal | last = Gilmore}} </ref>
Although Barrett had not appeared or spoken in public since the mid-1970s, time did little to diminish interest in his life and work; reporters and fans still travelled to Cambridge to seek him out, despite his attempts to live a quiet life, and many photos from the 1980s to his passing in 2006 of Barrett being annoyed by [[paparazzi]] when walking or biking to the store had been published in various places. A planned screen biography entitled ''Crazy Diamond'', which was to have been produced by Ridley Scott and directed by former Pink Floyd collaborator Peter Medak from a script by Ted Shuttleworth, was held up by rights issues and shelved indefinitely.
Apparently, Barrett was not happy being reminded about his past as a musician and the other members of Pink Floyd had no direct contact with him. However, he did go to his sister's house in 2002 to watch the BBC ''Omnibus'' documentary made about him – reportedly he found some of it "too noisy", though he's said to have enjoyed hearing "[[See Emily Play]]" again.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,11913,804928,00.html | work = The Observer | date = [[2002-10-06]] | title = You shone like the sun | accessdate = 2007-02-17 }}</ref>
Barrett died on [[July 7]] , [[2006]] at his home in [[Cambridge]] at the age of 60. He succumbed to [[pancreatic cancer]].<ref>[http://www.pinkfloydz.com/crazydiamond.htm "Crazy Diamond" by Mike Watkinson & Pete Anderson, rev. 2006, as excerpted on Pinkfloydz.com]</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Off-Key | first = Chuck | last = Klosterman | accessdate = 2007-02-17 | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/31/magazine/31barrett_landy.t.html?ex=1325221200&en=08156bea3fee17a1&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss | publisher = [[New York Times]] | date = [[31 December]] [[2006]] }}</ref>
As of 2006, his home has been placed on the market, and reportedly attracted considerable interest;<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/5335494.stm | publisher = [[BBC News]] | date = [[11 September]] [[2006]] | title = Syd Barrett's home on the market | accessdate = 2007-02-17 }}</ref> his other possessions were auctioned for £120,000.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/city/2007/06/29/507f70dd-dbf7-41f8-b3ef-d857b607f6bc.lpf | publisher = Cambridge Evening News | date = [[29 June]] [[2007]] | title = Syd's poem auctioned for £4,600 | accessdate = 2007-07-14 }}</ref>
==Musical influence== <!--
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Many artists have acknowledged Barrett's influence on their work. [[Paul McCartney]], [[Pete Townshend]], [[Marc Bolan]], and [[David Bowie]] were early fans; [[Jimmy Page]], [[Brian Eno]], and [[The Damned]] all expressed interest in working with him at some point during the 1970s. Bowie recorded a cover of "[[See Emily Play]]" on his 1973 album ''[[Pin Ups]]''. Townshend called Barrett legendary.
Barrett's decline had a profound effect on Roger Waters's songwriting, and the theme of mental illness would permeate Pink Floyd's later albums, particularly 1973's ''[[Dark Side of the Moon]]'' and 1975's ''[[Wish You Were Here (album)|Wish You Were Here]]''.
''Wish You Were Here'' (1975) was a conscious tribute to Barrett with the song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" being devoted to him. Other artists that have written tributes to Barrett include his contemporary [[Kevin Ayers]], who wrote "Oh Wot a Dream" in his honour (Barrett provided guitar to an early version of Ayers' "Singing a Song in the Morning"). Barrett fan [[Robyn Hitchcock]] has covered many of his songs live and on record, and has paid homage to his forebear with the songs "The Man Who Invented Himself" and "(Feels Like) 1974". The [[Television Personalities (band)|Television Personalities]]' track "I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives" from their 1981 album ''And Don't the Kids Love It'' are further tributes.
==Mental illness==
{{wikinews|Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett dies at age 60}}
There has been much speculation concerning the psychological well-being of Syd Barrett. Many believe he suffered from [[schizophrenia]], although he didn't exactly fit the typical profile for that condition. A diagnosis of [[bipolar disorder]] is also possible, most likely [[Bipolar I]]. In addition there have been many ongoing speculations that Syd Barrett suffered from [[Asperger syndrome]].
Barrett's use of [[psychedelic]] drugs, especially [[LSD]], during the 1960s is well-documented. Some believe that Barrett's drug use helped trigger (or at the very least contributed to) his mental illness. In an article published in 2006, Gilmour was quoted as saying: "In my opinion, his [[Nervous breakdown|breakdown]] would have happened anyway. It was a deep-rooted thing. But I'll say the psychedelic experience might well have acted as a catalyst. Still, I just don't think he could deal with the vision of success and all the things that went with it."<ref>{{cite news | url = http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/features/article337008.ece | publisher = The Independent | date = [[7 January]] [[2006]] | accessdate = 2007-02-17 | title = Syd Barrett, the swinging 60 }}</ref>
Many stories of Barrett's erratic behaviour off stage as well as on are also well-documented. In ''Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey'', author Nicholas Schaffner interviewed a number of people who knew Barrett before and during his Pink Floyd days. These included friends Peter and Susan Wynne-Wilson, artist Duggie Fields (with whom Barrett shared a flat during the late 1960s), June Bolan and [[Storm Thorgerson]], among others.
"For June Bolan, the alarm bells began to sound only when Syd kept his girlfriend under lock and key for three days, occasionally shoving a ration of biscuits under the door."<ref>Schaffner, p. 77</ref> A claim of cruelty ''against'' Barrett committed by the groupies and hangers-on who frequented his apartment during this period was described by writer and critic [[Jonathan Meades]]. "I went [to Barrett's flat] to see Harry and there was this terrible noise. It sounded like heating pipes shaking. I said, 'What's up?' and he sort of giggled and said, 'That's Syd having a bad trip. We put him in the linen cupboard.'"<ref>Schaffner, p. 110</ref> Storm Thorgerson responded to this claim by stating "I do ''not'' remember locking Syd up in a cupboard. It sounds to me like pure fantasy, like Jonathan Meades was on dope himself."<ref>Schaffner, p. 110</ref>
However, in the book ''Crazy Diamond: Syd Barrett and the Dawn of Pink Floyd'', authors Mike Watkinson and Pete Anderson wrote of a story told to them by Storm Thorgerson that underscored how volatile Barrett could be. "On one occasion, I had to pull him off Lynsey (Barrett's girlfriend at the time) because he was beating her over the head with a mandolin."<ref>Watkinson, p. 83</ref>
According to David Gilmour in an interview with [[Nick Kent]], the other members of Pink Floyd approached psychiatrist [[R.D. Laing]] with the 'Barrett problem'. After hearing a tape of a Barrett conversation, Laing declared him incurable.<ref>Kent, Nick. Syd Barrett feature. ''New Musical Express'', April 13, 1974.</ref><ref>Schaffner, pp. 106-107</ref>
David Gilmour proposed, in an interview with the ''[[National Post]]'''s [[John Geiger]], that the stroboscopic lights used in their shows combined with the drugs could have had a seriously detrimental effect on Barrett's mental health if he was a [[photosensitive epilepsy|photo-epileptic]] who suffered partial seizures. When partial seizures occur in the temporal lobes patients are often misdiagnosed with schizophrenia or [[psychosis]].<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/editorialsletters/story.html?id=bd706eda-fa9c-43ab-9f3e-18b7065c2799 | publisher = The National Post |page = A11 | date = [[12 July]] [[2006]] | title = Shine on | accessdate = 2007-02-17 }}</ref>
After Barrett died, due to a complication with [[diabetes]], his sister, Rosemary Breen, spoke to biographer Tim Willis for ''[[The Sunday Times (UK)|The Sunday Times]]''. She insisted that Barrett neither suffered from mental illness nor received treatment for it at any time since they resumed regular contact in the 1980s. She allowed that he did spend some time in a private “home for lost souls” — Greenwoods in Essex — but claimed there was no formal therapy programme there. Some years later, Barrett apparently agreed to sessions with a psychiatrist at Fulbourn psychiatric hospital in Cambridge, but Breen claimed that neither medication nor therapy was considered appropriate in her brother's case.
His sister denied he was a recluse or that he was vague about his past: "Roger may have been a bit selfish — or rather self-absorbed — but when people called him a recluse they were really only projecting their own disappointment. He knew what they wanted but he wasn’t willing to give it to them." Barrett, she said, took up photography, and sometimes they went to the seaside together. "Quite often he took the train on his own to London to look at the major art collections — and he loved flowers. He made regular trips to the Botanic Gardens and to the dahlias at Anglesey Abbey, near Lode. But of course, his passion was his painting", she said.<ref>{{cite news | last = Willis | first = Tim | title = My lovably ordinary brother Syd | work = [[The Sunday Times (UK)|The Sunday Times]] | date = [[2007-07-16]] | url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article688189.ece | accessdate = 2007-05-12 }}</ref>
==Syd Barrett in popular culture==
* Barrett is portrayed briefly in the opening scene of [[Tom Stoppard]]'s play ''[[Rock 'n' Roll (play)|Rock 'n' Roll]]'' ([[2006]]), performing ''Golden Hair''. His life and music (including the disastrous [[Cambridge Corn Exchange]] concert and his later reclusive lifestyle) are a recurring motif in the work. Barrett died during the play's run in London.
* [[Johnny Depp]] has shown interest in a [[biographical film]] based on Barrett's life.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://comingsoon.net/news/topnews.php?id=10191 | work = Coming Soon.net | date = [[29 June]] [[2005]] | accessdate = 2006-07-13 | title = In the Future: Chocolate Factory Cast & Crew | first = Edward | last = Douglas }}</ref>
* Syd Barrett is the subject of the [[Television Personalities (band)|Television Personalities]]' song "I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives". The Television Personalities became the subject of controversy and derision when, as they had been selected as the opening act on David Gilmour's ''About Face'' tour in the early 1980s, lead singer [[Dan Treacy]] decided to read aloud Barrett's real home address to the audience of thousands. Gilmour removed them from the tour immediately afterwards.<ref>Schaffner, p. 123</ref>
==Discography==
===Singles with Pink Floyd===
*1967: "[[Arnold Layne]]" / "[[Candy and a Currant Bun]]" (#20 UK)
*1967: "[[See Emily Play]]" / "[[The Scarecrow (Pink Floyd song)|The Scarecrow]]" (#6 UK, #134 U.S.)
*1967: "[[Apples and Oranges (song)|Apples and Oranges]]" / "PaintBox" (Rick Wright)
===Albums with Pink Floyd===
* ''[[The Piper at the Gates of Dawn]]'' ([[5 August]] [[1967]]) #6 UK
* ''[[A Saucerful of Secrets]]'' ([[29 June]] [[1968]]) #9 UK
* ''[[London 1966/1967]]'' 2005
===Compilations with Pink Floyd (featuring his work)===
* ''[[Relics (Pink Floyd album)|Relics]]'' ([[14 May]] [[1971]]) #34 UK, #152 U.S.
* ''[[A Nice Pair]]'' (1974)
* ''[[Masters of Rock]]'' (1974, Europe) (AKA ''The Best of the Pink Floyd)''
* ''[[Works (Pink Floyd album)|Works]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Shine On (Pink Floyd)|Shine On]]'' (1992 box set)
* ''[[Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd]]'' ([[5 November]] [[2001]]) #2 UK, #2 U.S.
===Solo albums===
*''[[The Madcap Laughs]]'' - ([[3 January]] [[1970]]) #40 UK
*''[[Barrett (album)|Barrett]]'' - ([[14 November]] [[1970]])
===Appears On===
* ''[[Joy of a Toy]]'' by [[Kevin Ayers]] ([[November]] [[1969]]) Plays guitar on "Religious Experience" - bonus track on remastered 2003 CD.
===Solo compilations===
* ''[[Syd Barrett (album)|Syd Barrett]]'' (November 1974) U.S. #163: ''[[The Madcap Laughs]]'' and ''[[Barrett (album)|Barrett]]'' packaged together
* ''[[Opel (album)|Opel]]'' - ([[17 October]] [[1988]])
* ''[[Octopus: The Best of Syd Barrett]]'' ([[29 May]] [[1992]]): Greatest hits album issued on the Cleopatra label.
* ''[[Crazy Diamond]]'' (April 1993): Boxed set with all three studio albums with bonus tracks
* ''[[The Best of Syd Barrett: Wouldn't You Miss Me?]]'' ([[16 April]] [[2001]]): Contains one previously unreleased track ("''Bob Dylan Blues''")
===Solo live recordings===
* ''[[Syd Barrett: The Peel Session|The Peel Session]]'' (1 July, 1991): Recorded for John Peel's BBC radio show "Top Gear" with David Gilmour and Jerry Shirley backing. Contains the otherwise unrecorded "Two of a Kind".
* ''[[The Radio One Sessions (Syd Barrett album)|The Radio One Sessions]]'' (March, 2004): The album contains the five songs of from The Peel Session and bootleg-quality recordings of three songs broadcast on the Bob Harris radio show in 1971. [http://www.strange-fruit-music.co.uk/syd_barrett.htm]
===Solo singles===
* "[[Octopus (song)|Octopus]]"/"Golden Hair" ([[15 November]] [[1969]])
== Filmography ==
*Syd's First Trip (1966)
*''[[Tonite Let's All Make Love In London]]'' (1968)
==Notes==
<div class="references-small"><references/></div>
==References==
<div class="references-small">
* Julian Palacios, ''Lost In The Woods: Syd Barrett and the Pink Floyd'' (Boxtree, 1997) ISBN 0-7522-2328-3
* Nicholas Schaffner, ''Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey'' (Delta, 1991) ISBN 0-385-30684-9
* Mike Watkinson and Pete Anderson, ''Crazy Diamond: Syd Barrett and the Dawn of "Pink Floyd"'' ISBN 0-7119-8835-8 (includes some of Barrett's paintings).
* Tim Willis, ''Madcap: The half-life of Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd's lost genius'' (Short Books, 2002) ISBN 1-904095-24-0
* My lovably ordinary brother Syd, by Tim Willis, ''The Sunday Times'', [[16 July]] [[2006]]. [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-2271741,00.html]
</div>
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
===General links===
* [http://musicchain.net/tag/Syd%20Barrett MusicChain - Syd Barrett Music]
* [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10829789/the_madcap_who_named_pink_floyd/1 The Madcap who made Pink Floyd] - Interview in [[Rolling Stone]], 1971
* [http://www.pink-floyd.org/barrett/madcbarr.htm Extracts from "Madcap" by Tim Willis] - Syd Barrett biography and chat, October 2002.
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-2271741,00.html My lovably ordinary brother Syd] - Roger's sister Rosemary on her late brother, in [[The Times]], July 2006.
* [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=61::67NP The Madcap Gets the Last Laugh] - A Remembrance of Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett [[allmusic.com]], July 2006.
* [http://www.cbs4denver.com/video/?id=19073@kcnc.dayport.com Pink Floyd Fans Discuss The News Of The Death Of Syd Barrett] - An anchor at CBS4, KCNC-TV in Denver, discusses Barrett's death at length [[KCNC-TV]], July 2006.
* [http://www.otmoorproductions.com/home.htm]''[[The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story]]'' Director John Edginton's documentary described by the Rough Guide to Pink Floyd as “Finally the Pink Floyd story as it should be told…a moving and thoughtful documentary”
* [http://www.sydbarrett.net/welcome.htm The Syd Barrett Archives]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=14893566 Profile of Syd Barrett] at [[Find A Grave]]
===Fansite links===
* [http://www.pink-floyd.org/barrett Dolly Rocker] - The legend of Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett.
* [http://www.neptunepinkfloyd.co.uk/gallery/v/SydBarrettPhotos/ 1500 Photos of Syd Barrett] - Probably the most comprehensive collection of photos showing Barrett from baby to death.
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{{Pink Floyd}}
{{Syd Barrett}}
{{Persondata
|NAME=Barrett, Roger Keith
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Barrett, Syd
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=Musician
|DATE OF BIRTH=[[January 6]], [[1946]]
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Cambridge]], [[England]]
|DATE OF DEATH=[[July 7]], [[2006]]
|PLACE OF DEATH=[[Cambridge]], [[England]]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barrett, Syd}}
[[Category:Pink Floyd members]]
[[Category:English guitarists]]
[[Category:English songwriters]]
[[Category:English male singers]]
[[Category:Psych folk musicians]]
[[Category:Slide guitarists]]
[[Category:English painters]]
[[Category:Alumni of Anglia Ruskin University]]
[[Category:People from Cambridge]]
[[Category:Music from Cambridge]]
[[Category:Pancreatic cancer deaths]]
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
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