Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd)

Name: Roger Keith Barrett
Born/Died: 6th January, 1946 (Cambridge, England) - 7th July, 2006

Profile: He was an English singer, songwriter, guitarist and artist. He is most remembered as a founding member of psychedelic rock band "Pink Floyd", providing major musical and stylistic direction in their early work.

History: His parents encourage him in his music when he was just 3 years old. Barrett acquired the nickname 'Syd' at the age of 14, a reference to an old local Cambridge jazz Double Bassist, Sid Barrett. He then changed the spelling in order to differentiate himself from his namesake.

Barrett formed his first band "The Mottoes", where his mother encouraged his band to perform in their front room, Barrett and Roger Waters were childhood friends, and Waters often visited such gigs. During this time he wrote such songs as "Effervescing Elephant" to play at local parties.

In 1965, Barrett joined a band called "The Tea Set", when they found themselves playing a concert with a band of the same name, Barrett came up with 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.

In 1966, "Pink Floyd" had gained a reliable management team in Andrew King and Peter Jenner (who took their original songs to the recording behemoth EMI), soon after that the band was offered a contract for an album. By the time the album was released, 'Arnold Layne' had reached number 20 on the British singles charts and 'See Emily Play', had done even better, peaking at number 6.

Their first three singles, including their third 'Apples and Oranges', were all written by Barrett, who also was the principal visionary/author of their critically acclaimed 1967 debut album, 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn'.

In 1972, after a few guest spots in Cambridge with former "Pink Fairies" members Twink and Jack Monck, the trio formed a short-lived band called "Stars". Though the band was initially well received, one of their gigs at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge proved to be disastrous. 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.

After leaving "Pink Floyd", he was to record the poignant solo albums 'The Madcap Laughs' and 'Barrett', but otherwise was reclusive and was to suffer a continuing history of mental ill health.

Barrett was active as a rock musician for about seven years, recording two albums with "Pink Floyd" and two solo albums before going into self-imposed seclusion lasting more than 30 years. His post rock-band life was as an artist and a keen gardener, ending with his death in 2006. A number of biographies have been written about him since the 80's and "Pink Floyd" wrote and recorded a classic song about him after he left, 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' on the 1975 album 'Wish You Were Here'.

Influences: Unknown

Axology: Fender Telecaster and Acoustic guitars

Signature song(s): Apples and Oranges - Pink Floyd (1967) and Baby Lemonade - Syd Barrett

Link(s):

http://www.sydbarrett.com (Official website)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HK6-vE3jHk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL36NuJJLIQ