The Mad Cap’s gone! Very sad, farewell to the man who inpired ‘Wish You Were Here’

Sad day for Floyd fans. Goodbye to the founder of such a legendary band.

Shine On Syd…your music sure will.

Genius. See you on the dark side of the moon

Shine on Syd you were the music genius that made floyd possible you will be missed…..

…you crazy diamond! You´ll allways shine for us & them!!
(Pasto, from argentine)

And if your band starts playing different tunes…

Set the control for the heart of the sun.

may you rest in peace, vegetable man

mad cap i love you man .i always wanted to meet you .wish you were here will have more meaning now.going where the wind dont blow so strange,say hi to tim,and hunterfor me .oh ya,my duaghters name is sydney,i wonder why?

He did WAYYYYYYY more than inspire Wish you were here.

RIP you crazy diamond.

“Before enlightenment, I chopped wood and carried water. After enightenment, I chopped wood and carried water.”
– Zen saying

What else is one to do, you know?

Rolling Stone only gives Syd three sentences of coverage when he dies?

Wouldn’t they miss him at all?

Everything Pink Floyd recorded after Barrett’s departure was influenced by him. Everything. Barrett’s is maybe the most creative and influential force in British Rock after the Beatles.

Yes he influenced alot of other artists and Pink FLoyd was very found of him. However he hasn’t done anything in a long while and he probably has moved past Pink Floyd. He wouldn’t want all this attention, and lets not act like this is going to ruin our day. A majority of people aren’t influenced by him and can name only a few songs so lets not act like this is some huge earth shattering news. I give him the all the respect in the world but come on people don’t act like you really care because you don’t.

“and i stood very still by the window sill and i wondered for those I love still. I cried in my mind when i stand behind the beauty of those in her eyes.”

Hope the Gates swing open wide for this tortured, brilliant, beautful soul.

Keep the loonies on the path out there. Thank you.

You were the reason syd. We will live on for you and you will be missed…..by the way, I always had this feeling that YOU were pink. Could this be true?

Your star will always shine brighter than others. Rest in Peace you wonderful soul.

Ol’ Syd ain’t got no worries anymore

syd barrett was the greatest psychedelic guitarest ever the fact he didnt top rolling stones list of 100 greatest guitarest was a travesty !!!he invented the glissando style of playing electric guitar with the use of a zippo lighter !!!im not impressed with hendix wanna bees like stevie ray vaughn not in the league at all as a original player etc hendrix loved syds playing and told him so when jimi played bass in soft machine THE MOST INPORTENT GUITAREST SINCE JIMI ‘fred frith’ who plays two home made guitars simultaneously etc faster than van halen by a MILE !! said syd was awesome !!i remember the closed minded dead heads if garcia practiced for 10000 years he would not be syd barrett !!! MISS YOU OL PAL AND MY HS GIRLFRIEND AS WELL !!!THANKS GLENN LESLIE 718 465 1661 bigglenn@email.com

Syd Barrett was a true genius and like many geniuses he had his own inner demons to deal with.

highly influential on Prog-Rock, Alternative, and the Indie-Rock scene, Syd is an individual who excelled beyond the mediocrity that exists in most mainstream music today.

R.I.P.S.O.Y.C.D

I could never get enough of Syd’s work. I remember when Opel came out, I was a thorn in the flesh of my local record store waiting for them to put it out on display.

I am sad that we didn’t get to know more about the man, and I am a little angry at Syd for shutting himself away for so many years. Not that he owes us anything.

A troubled soul indeed, his passing brings sorrow and regret.

I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon, Syd.

Very sad and reflective about Syd Barrett’s passing today. He will be missed.

vince palamara
Pittsburgh, PA
USA

Very sad news about an artist whose work I’ve been a fan of since my teens. The Early Floyd and his subsequent solo albums are surreal gems. Sometimes disturbing, but mostly fascinating.

The has died… Rock n’ roll will never be the same.

Very sad day.. we will miss a
brilliant man- golden slumbers
fill your eyes- sleep little darlin’- May you finally
sleep..

Long live the Madcap…At the very least I would submit that “See Emily Play” is among the finest rock singles ever, and one of my very favorite songs. “Bike” is equally great, containing a lyric with a meter so pronounced you hardly need the musical backing to feel the groove…perhaps this will be the straw that breaks the back of the four-headed camel we know as Pink Floyd and get them out on the road where they ought to be.

The world lost Syd decades ago, but his fantastic music will live on forever! “well you know who you are you are a Gigilo Aunt, you’re a gigilo aunt!”

Sad about Syd, Grateful for his Legacy, Thankful for still having the four other diamonds… hopefully

Kind of sad when you think that
all alone, or in twos
the ones who really loved him
walked up and down
outside the wall.

Gonna miss the little guy…so many kids don’t understand his place in it all. What a place it was…

I’m quite sad to hear about Syd’s passing, but now at least he’s in that great gig in the sky.

Arnold Layne should be on the list

He is one of the greatest song writers of all time. His songs are very catchy, almost like nursery rhymes. It’s too bad that when most people think of “Pink Floyd”, they think of Dark Side of the Moon or The Wall. For the fortunate ones who actually discovered Syd Barrett, we understand and see the evolution that took place for Pink Floyd during the beginning and ending of their recording career. To be honest with you, I would have to say that I am more of a fan of the Syd era of Pink Floyd than the rest.

This is a very sad day for me. Syd, I will miss you very much. Your music is an inspiration.

Syd Barrett is to this day probably my biggest influence as a guitar player. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is one of the greatest records ever produced. This is a sad day. R.I.P. Syd!

That’s too bad. I’ll listen to Pipers tonight.

There never would’ve been Pink Floyd without this man. I love his songs with the Floyd but his solo albums are just as brilliant. A true genius indeed. I love you Syd. Shine on.

Without Syd Barrett there would be no Pink Floyd. A Saucerful Of Secrets is still a Masterpiece. The genius of this man was without
parallel. May he RIP.

Syd Barrett has had a strong influence on my life since I was 15 when I first discovered Pink Floyd. He was like a mythical figure, a genius trapped in his own mind. I bought my very first Floyd record on my 16 birthday, july 7th 1996. It will always hunt me that he died exactly 10 years later to the day on july 7th 2006. But that was Syd to me, and enigma that I have always tried to understand. After Buying “Piper at The Gates of Dawn”, I placed a black and white poster of him in the corner of my room, the record blew me away. Maybe now he has finally found the peace of mind he so much craved for and that forced him out of music such a long time ago. Farewell Madcap, Shine On…

Barrett:Wouldn’t you miss me?

No need to answer that now!

Too bad, he was brilliant. Piper at the Gates of Dawn was overshadowed by the much more accessible Sgt. Pepper’s, but it is not to be slighted. Syd was legendary before, and he becomes even more of a mysterious genius after his death. Shine on, you crazy diamond.

Artistically,he was one of my biggest influences. Shine on you crazy diamond!

when the dam breaks open many years too soon
and when there is no room upon the hill
and when your head explodes with dark fobodings too
ill see you on the dark side of the moon
and when the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear
when you shout and no one seems to hear
and when the band youre in starts playing different tunes
then ill see you on the dark side of the moon

Syd was a great artist who left us wanting so much more.

The missing piece has found his way back into the limelight. Syd Barrett is dead at age 60.
I often wondered where he was and what he was really thinking, despite the demons I might find.
. . . At night prowling sifting sand. Hiding around on the ground. He’ll be found when you’re around. That cat’s something I can’t explain . . .

A brilliance in fear, perhaps I have now found the muse I have been searching for. Wish you were here . . .

Been a fan since 1980 collecting his stuff, named my cat after him. It’s funny I just heard about this today but he died on Friday but I played a ton of his solo stuff out of the blue this past weekend. Vegtable man where are you?

It’s hard to know what to say about Syd. Let his music roll and wonder…

Careful with that acid Eugene.

I don’t think I could count the number of hours I spent as a young man (I’m 47 now) listening to the genius of Syd’s Pink Floyd, and his 2 barmy-yet-whimsical wonderful solo albums. (I even had the entire lyric to “Effervescing Elephant” memorized for quite a while.) To say that they had a profound impact on me during the period of maximum involvement with music would be a severe understatement.

Everyone here should do themselves a favor, and go to YouTube and do a search on “Gilmour” + “Bowie”. You will find videos of David Bowie joining David Gilmour (and Richard Wright) on stage at the Royal Albert Hall less than 2 weeks ago, singing “Arnold Layne”. Gilmour and Wright recreate the guitar and keyboard parts perfectly, and Bowie does a perfect homage, with just the right English accented vocal. It’s utterly sublime and it choked me right up.

And after hearing how great that old material sounded, I just have to say this …

An Open Letter to David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright:

Please. Do the right thing. Get back together again, one last time. In whatever form it takes.

Another Hyde Park concert, whatever – and play all of “The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn” all the way through.

Because Syd deserves nothing less from all of you. If Live8 was a good enough cause – isn’t this the best cause of all?

We would fly in from all over the 4 corners of the globe for this … wherever it is. I know I would.

God bless you, Syd Barrett.

love ya syd,youll always be in my heart and in my ears-

Oh God no. God no. No. No. No. I feared this would happen, after all the years of stories about his diabetes and weight and poor/nonexistent adherence to medical regimen…No. No. No. God no.

Oh Syd we miss you. You shine as a diamond forever… Too too too sad.

I always had a notion that one daY I would read that Syd was releasing a selection of songs he had written over the years. I guess this was not to be, but somewhere now he is pulling out that mirrored Stratocater and jamming with John, George, Jimi, Ludwig, and the rest. Fare thee well Mr. Barrett…

acid to ashes and dusk to dust the music of floyd will never rust!

I’m going to miss you Syd. Shine on you Legend, you Martyr.

Jeese… this is gonna ruin the rest of my Summer

Shine on Syd

“Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player who struts and frets his moment upon the stage, and then is heard no more.”
- Shakespeare

“There is no genius without some touch of madness.”
-Seneca

Long time Floyd fan…wrote this in high school around ‘87 or ‘88. I don’t presume it to be any good, but thought I’d share anyway…

There’s a place in my mind
That I visit sometimes
A complete different land
Like the sun and the sand

It’s in you
It’s in me
Your mind is the door
Acid the key

I’ve been there before
Sworn I’d never go back
But soon after entry
It’s a permanent track

Things appear different
Nothing’s the same
Jesus, what’s happening?
Am I insane?

A great man once said
Theres no way out of here(Gilmour)
These aren’t my worries
It’s the laughs that I fear (the madcap laughs)

Be well Syd…

Childhood’s End your fantasies merge with harsh realities.

RIP SYD

Pink Floyd is a band that was so far ahead of their time that we haven’t even reached that time yet! Barrett can now be menitioned with Hendrix, Lennon, Joplin, as one of the most influential musicians of our time. The impact that he had over such a brief period of time, is nothing short of magic. Our hearts and prayers are with you and your family Syd, may your soul rest in peace, but the memory of you never fade.

SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND!!!!
RIP SYD

You’ll always by this diamond who shines on the dark side of the moon and in rock history for eternity. We miss you and see you sometimes on the other side! Rest in peace Syd. Nik

No hay album más fantástico y mágico que The Pipers at the Gate of Down. Syd, dulce, tierno, genio, brilla para siempre.
….
There isn’t an album more fantastic and magic than The Pipers at the Gate of Down. Syd, sweet, tender, genious, shine on you for ever.

Syd, an inpiration to many. Rest in Peace.

I am a little to young to have heard the TRUE Floyd, with the late Syd, but I got into Floyd with Gilmour in it, and then I worked my way backwards, when I got “Piper” I was just shocked at the music coming out of my record player. I always wanted to meet the man, but I know I will see him in heaven when I get there. You are finally in peace Syd, With love Nathan.

From the inside the roughest diamonds shine the brightest. R.I.P. We love you Sid

Syd Barrett changed my life. thank you Syd. Enjoy the next part of your journey. RIP.

I wish he could have let someone inspire him the way he did us.

a true genuis passed away…but through his outstanding tunes he`s gonna live on forever. shine on!

ROGER KEITH BARRETT

1946 – 2006

http://votebaer.blogeasy .com

thankyou for the music Syd.
you’ll never be forgotten you crazy diamond.

Thank you Roger.
May you now find that pussywillow, and yes, we will miss you.

Sad day…he was brilliant…genious…and THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DOWN is one of the greatest psychedelic records ever!Rock’n'roll will never be the same…may he R.I.P.
Thank you,SYD…from Athens,Greece.

I look up at this cloudless sky, a big stupid lump in my throat, and I can’t help but wonder if you’ve plugged in your guitar yet, on the far side.

Thank you, Syd.

Godspeed Madcap. Thanks for the magic. See you on the dark side of the moon.

For 1 year and half I awake one hour before I needed, only to listen full Piper….. And I really love to sleep…. life seemd pointless for me and that was the only way to start a day …. He helped me so much, thank you

I would like to see Waters, Gilmour and the Pink Floyd site ackowledge this sad news. Shame.

Goodbye Syd, thanks for the music and showing us there are no boundaries and no right or wrong way to create.

Un fan desde Bolivia (Sud America) expresa su pesar por la partida de Syd: el guitarrista, cantante, compositor, artista, ser humano.

Gone but not dead, Your music lives forever, thanks for your music!!!!!

thank you. godspeed.

Un fan de Pink Floyd por muchos años, pero solo recientemente aprecié el legado de Syd.
El Excéntrico por excelencia seguirá brillando, muy a su pesar… aún la oscuridad tiene luz propia.
__________

A long time Pink Floyd fan, however I just recently learned to appreciate his legacy. The Madcap will shine on, despite of himself… even darkness has a light of its own.
Farewell, vegetable man!!

To Warren Muzak:

David Gilmour’s site has quite a nice tribute to Syd, and over 400 messages to Syd’s memory on his blog. David has also included some of Syd’s songs on his tour, to make sure Syd receives some royalties on them. Also, Roger dedicated “Wish You Were Here” to him at Live Eight last year.

The members of Floyd have done a fine job in their tribute to Syd, shame on you!

til tomorrow.

Sad about Syd. Surely there were so many, many ideas hidden away in there, never to be shared. Gilmour w/Wright did a nice “Arnold” on the recent tour, a nice tip o the cap, very entertaining. Now all the Madcap genius blog will flow but I can’t help but think.. so sad about Syd.

I first heard the “Barrett” album in a sober state and said, “huh?” Then I dropped a tab and listened to it again and said, “Ohhh…”

“Ice cream, ’scuse me, I seen you looking good the other evening!”

Thank you, Syd! Shine on…

the dream is gone the man is dead

I had the good fortune to have Nick Mason on the radio program. KZOK/Seattle http://www.kzok.com. Syd was not only his friend, but the sound juice of early Pink Floyd, is how Nick put it. Sound Juice is a good way to put Syd’s influence. He was all about sound and his energy was the juice. RIP Syd, your insight pushed rock during that creative explosion called the psychedelic 60’s.

In the Sad Town, Cold Iron Hands Clap the partie of clowns outside, Rain folls in gray Faraway…..

For making the bugs on your “Barrett” dance, thank you, Syd. Maybe in passing can your influence be trully appreciated and acknowledged.

Grew up with Pink Floyd the music, even with Sid in his very strage way of life he put his feelings in to what he felt. Yes the man in gone but now some 40 years later when it all began, the music is coming back! He mas left a mark in the musical history book just as others have. May he long live in is music for other to share and listen to and try and figure out what his “Madhat” ways and was doing! Thank you for the music and like you have given us to help unterstand ways of life and some one its twisted ways. Godspeed to a better place to where you have no more “Madhat” ways of living but, being in peace now with your self and soul!
A Fan for EVER of the group and make the group still ride high on the wave of live and music!
Scott Edards, Sr.

Because of you, we had Pink Floyd…Thank God for you! I wouldn’t be who I am today with Floyd!

Because of you, we had Pink Floyd…Thank God for you! I wouldn’t be who I am today without Floyd!

i think there’s a little bit of syd in us all. my hairs on end for you syd. see ya on the other side.

damn datz terrible he died. i wonder how da rest of da band gonna carry on witout their lead singer. i aint heard all of pink floyd’s songs, but their album “the wall” was cool and amazin. it had this psychodelic-trance feel, but it still sounded like rock should. and this was released in ‘79! aint dat sumthin?? whoa! i hope da band keeps tourin and if possible, makin songs. fans will love it, even witout da frontman.

i want to tell you a story about a real great man if i can? been jamin with syd for over 30 years thanks man

Thanks much, Riot Nrrrd (earlier post), for the “YouTube” video link of Gilmour & Bowie. Makes it all the sadder, somehow. I became aware of Floyd during the dark Side of the Moon era, and only much later learned of Mr. Barrett. It only takes a short bit of listening to Piper to understand that this was not your ordinary musician and songwriter. Damn shame he’s gone, and a much bigger shame that a whole lot of people never knew and will never know who he was or his music. What a world.

You dont need to record anything else after you did Piper.Nothing else to add.No other record can touch it.In and out,wide eyed blessing.Thank you,see you soon!

well, sad day, he managed to influence people all over the world, I’m from Siberia myself, we’re all very sad. it’d be great to see some kind of tribute concert staged by former syd colleagues.

It’s awfully considerate of you to think of me here
And I’m most obliged to you for making it clear
That I’m not here.

truer words were never spoken….shine on you crazy diamond

Thank you, Syd Barrett. I don’t how I would have made it through being 15 and living in Texas in the 80’s if I didn’t have Piper at the Gates of Dawn in my Walkman every morning. Most people in music spend their whole careers progressing to a climax, but Syd came into music with such charisma and vision that it all came out at once. Syd’s story is a very sad story but like Roky Erickson, Skip Spence and other enigmas from that era, the mystery builds over time and the limited output keeps us craving for more when there is none left to be unearthed. Truly the stuff of cult legend, makes you wonder if he had any idea. Every deacde or so it seems the media prints a story posing the whatever happened to question or someone writes a book and it becomes fashionable to show how underground ones tastes are, but I personally beleive Syd deserves a place right next to the big ones, his spectoral presence looms ever so largely over psychedelic and alternative rock. It’s a shame that Syd never got to enjoy the success or was never able to make peace with his past.

Shine on.

Pink Floyd has deserved a greater presence in Rolling Stone over the years (I couldn’t believe they were overlooked in RS 1000) … so, RS, whattaya say … how about a great tribute to Syd and the Pink Floyd story in an upcoming issue?

I had no idea that he so affected one of my favorite bands of all time. As big of a Pink Floyd fan as I am, how could I not have known about Syd? Rest in peace, dude.

Syd Barrett was my idol. He deserved more than what he ended up with. He was to smart for his own well being and i think there should be some sort of tribute to him, in the next rolling stone magazine, because he was a man that didnt fear the reaper. He started off probably the greatest band in the world. Without him where would Pink Floyd be? I was deeply touched the day he died. When he died, a bit of me died. May you rest in peace Syd Barrett.

If i dont see Rogers and Gilmour at Barretts grave, playing a tribute concert for him, well il have no respect for Pink Floyd anymore.

the world has lost one of its greatest poets. May he shine on.

Syd Barrett, founding member of Pink Floyd and the father of space rock as we know it, passed away last week…actually, let me rephrase that…Roger Keith Barrett, the man who had once been Syd Barrett, passed on last week. The name Syd was shed along with all pretenses of celebrity in the early 1970’s when Barrett went into a seclusion from which he was never to emerge, at least not to the world of hangers-on, record company execs and false prophets that defined the world of pop music in that era and have ever since.

During the years after his retirement, Mr. Barrett lived quietly, mainly at his home in Cambridge, England, seeking nothing more than peace and shelter from what Kerouac so eloquently called “the glaring sunlight of celebrity”, sometimes with a measure of success, sometimes not. He died peacefully of complications related to diabetes on Friday, July7th 2006.

Despite Syd’s comparatively small body of work both as helmsman of one of the world’s most important psychedelic rock bands and his sparse yet equally relevant solo work, this man’s legacy is cemented in history and it is hoped that now he is able to look upon the gifts he has given us all in song and rejoice.

“Thunder in the Earth, the course of Heaven
Things cannot be destroyed once and for all…”

Be at peace, Syd, and thank you.

Now really we “wish you were here”
Syd rest in peace man

I wonder if he ever gave back that bike he borrowed? Sorely missed crazy diamond.

A movement is accomplished in six stages,
And the seventh brings return.
The seven is the number of the young light,
It forms when darkness is increased by one.
Change returns success,
Going and coming without error,
Action brings good fortune.
Sunset.

Bye Syd.

I”WISH YOU WERE HERE” …not just so we can still believe that someday you may RETURN TO REALITY…but so all the younger SYDFANS can wish the same and hope that the music you made could be made again. You brought us some GRAND MUSIC which I KNOW will never die…it will last an eternity though we may not. Our bodies are only a vessel LENT to us to use for alittle while but the SPIRIT that is given to us lives on and on forever.
You’ll always live on in my heart and on my CD. CHERRIO DUDE!!

Syd I hope You know how amazing you were as an icon and as a great talent… you will be missed greatly… Pink Floyd Will Live On Thanks To Syd and other floyd members

P I N K
F L O Y D

Wish you were here Syd. Syd changed my life more than anyone else just through the power of music. the world wasnt ready for a man of his genuis and may never be. Syd will live on forever. May we meet in the next life.
SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND

i made a trip to london and made a hr train ride to where syd lived 10 yrs ago.was there 2 days and bumped into him at a local store getting a newspaper.after meeting him and listening to him ramble on,the end of
the dark side makes sense…that is how he talked….just remember syd….there is no dark side of the moon…its all dark….r.i.p

To Angela, and all.

I have seen Gilmours site. But there was nothing posted when I went there after I heard the news. It wasn’t until later that day. So I apologize for my haste.

Very sorry to see Syd Barrett gone – but it was much more sad back when he first developed schizophrenia.

There is a good indepth story on Syd Barrett and his mental illness here:

http://www.schizophre nia.com/sznews/archives/003640 .html

with luck, people will learn from Syd’s story – take better care of their brain – and live a more full life than Syd was able to do.

jc.

Well Syd, I can only reflect onn oong snnn…said Darrel the Mouse, looking at the light as it turned green from the small house in the cupboard. If only Rat can shoom fmmb sss…and we can keep it all together in your name. Not so pink without you. RIP

Syd Barrett was Pink Floyd. All of their work was based around him, every last word, and every last chorus was Syd Barrett. He Shined like the Crazy diamond he was and will not shine on our world but he will always shine in me.

I WISH YOU WERE HERE SYD

the double album had an immediate effect on me. it seared itself with permenant brain connections in my head. he’ll be missed for his contributions to society. thanks mr. barrett.

The death of Syd struck a chord with me and my mid-month podcast at The Best Radio YouHave Never Heard (http://www.bestradiopodcast.c om) is a tribute to the great rock visionary.
This podcast is a tribute to Syd Barrett. Even though of course there is some Pink Floyd music in the show, it is more of a tribute to Syd’s vision. I like to think of it as traveling music for Syd’s iPod as he makes the trek to the Gates of Dawn, or perhaps some gardening music for the great beyond as, in his recent past, gardening was one of Syd’s few hobbies.

Have a listen and let me know what you think.

Perry/Chicago
http://w ww.bestradiopodcast.com

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/a rticle/0,,2092-2271741.html

The Sunday Times July 16, 2006

My lovably ordinary brother Syd
The ‘crazy diamond’ founder of Pink Floyd was no acid casualty or recluse. He loved art and DIY, his sister Rosemary tells his biographer Tim Willis in her first interview for 30 years

When the death of 60-year-old Roger “Syd” Barrett was announced on Tuesday, the media raised an astonishing last hurrah for the founder of Pink Floyd, the “crazy diamond” who had shunned the public gaze for decades.
The descriptions of him as a “mad genius”, “recluse” and “acid casualty” were far off the mark, however, according to his sister Rosemary.

When I wrote Barrett’s biography, Madcap, four years ago I had off-the-record guidance from Rosemary — his junior by two years and closest friend. Last week, after his death, we spoke again and this time she went on the record — the first time she has given a press interview for more than 30 years.

She described him as a loving man who “simply couldn’t understand” the continued interest in his distant Pink Floyd years and was too absorbed in his own thoughts to spare time for fans.

While her account is naturally fond, one should remember that she has spent much of her working life as a nurse and therefore sees no stigma in mental illness. As children, she and Barrett shared a bedroom and she recalls him leaping from his sheets to conduct an imaginary orchestra. He always had an extraordinary mind, bordering on the autistic or Aspergic. He had a rare talent to exploit ambiguities in language and also experienced synaesthesia — the ability to “see sounds and hear colours” — which was to be a huge influence on his music in his psychedelic phase.

As a performing artist, signed to a label, he was under enormous strain. Not only did he find fame a two-edged sword, he was also deeply resistant to his record company’s commercial demands. He was run ragged. Between January 1966, when the Floyd turned professional, and January 1968, Barrett played 220 gigs around Britain — not to mention broadcasting and performances abroad — as well as writing, recording and co-producing two hit singles, most of the band’s first album and part of the second.

While his enthusiastic ingestion of any drugs available might have triggered some disturbing behaviour, such stress might tip anyone into nervous collapse.

From 1981, when he returned from London to the suburbs of his native Cambridge, resumed the name Roger and set up home in his mother’s modest semi, he made faltering but significant progress.

Rosemary is adamant that he neither suffered from mental illness nor received treatment for it at any time since they resumed regular contact 25 years ago. At first he did spend some time in a private “home for lost souls” — Greenwoods in Essex — but she says there was no formal therapy programme there. (“And besides, he didn’t mix, because he was very content to be basket weaving and making things.”) Later he agreed to some sessions with a psychiatrist at Fulbourn psychiatric hospital, Cambridge, but neither medication nor therapy was considered appropriate.

He might have continued to find social interaction difficult — when I knocked on his door while writing my book he greeted me in his underpants and avoided conversation by saying that he was just looking after the house — but the idea that he “didn’t recognise he was Syd” is nonsense. His troubled years had been so painful that even thinking about his former incarnation upset him, so he made a conscious effort to avoid that trap.

Because he was so interested in his own thoughts, his sister said, he often forgot about the mundane chores essential to comfort. To keep an eye on him, she would visit or phone every day and sometimes accompany him on expeditions into town.

Earlier this year an old friend saw the pair in Robert Sayles, the Cambridge department store, and went up to renew their acquaintance. “Hello, Syd,” he said. “Do you remember me?”

“Yup,” replied Barrett. But Rosemary cut in with “Roger is only interested in buying some ties today”, and led her brother away. Now she admits she might have been over-protective.

Barrett lived in the semi with his mother until her death in 1991 and then remained there alone. “So much of his life was boringly normal,” said Rosemary. “He looked after himself and the house and garden. He went shopping for basics on his bike — always passing the time of day with the local shopkeepers — and he went to DIY stores like B&Q for wood, which he brought home to make things for the house and garden.

“Actually, he was a hopeless handyman, he was always laughing at his attempts, but he enjoyed it. Then there was his cooking. Like everyone who lives on their own, he sometimes found that boring but he became good at curries.

“When Roger was working he liked to listen to jazz tapes. Thelonious Monk, Django Reinhardt, Charlie Parker and Miles Davis were his favourites — he always found something new in them — but apart from the early Rolling Stones, he’d lost interest in pop music a long time ago.

“As for a television or radio, he didn’t feel the need to own one because he didn’t want to waste any energy concentrating on it. It’s not that he couldn’t apply his mind. He read very deeply about the history of art and actually wrote an unpublished book about it, which I’m too sad to read at the moment. But he found his own mind so absorbing that he didn’t want to be distracted.

“He did have leisure interests. He took up photography, and sometimes we 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.

“Roger worked in a variety of styles — though he admired no one after the impressionists — and you could say he came up with his own type of conceptual art. He would photograph a particular flower and paint a large canvas from the photograph. Then he would make a photographic record of the picture before destroying the canvas. In a way, that was very typical of his approach to life. Once something was over, it was over. He felt no need to revisit it.

“That’s why he avoided contact with journalists and fans. He simply couldn’t understand the interest in something that had happened so long ago and he wasn’t willing to interrupt his own musings for their sake. After a while he and I stopped discussing the times he was bothered. We both knew what we thought and we simply had nothing more to add. It became easiest to pretend those incidents never happened and just blank them out.

“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.

“Roger was unique; they didn’t have the vocabulary to describe him and so they pigeonholed him. If only they had seen him with children. His nieces and nephews, the kids in the road — he would have them in stitches. He could talk at length and he played with words in a way that children instinctively appreciated, even if it sometimes threw adults.”

He was quite a sharp dresser, too. “He didn’t follow fashion — he just bought what he liked for himself — but he liked to look presentable. His clothes were always clean and pressed. In fact, if he had an obsession, it was with that.”

Barrett suffered from stomach ulcers for 30 years — which he managed by drinking milk — and also developed diabetes. “But he simply refused to admit it to himself. For days at a time he wouldn’t take his pills — which, being a nurse, could have worried me. But to be honest, it can’t have been very severe because he never showed any ill effects.”

What he did show, she said, was love: “I gave it to him and he gave it to me. He was incredibly supportive when our mother died. And in the past week I’ve been surprised to learn how popular he was with the local tradesmen. He was simply a very lovable person.

“He showed his personality in lots of different ways — which some outsiders found confusing — but underneath he was solid as a rock. It may have been a responsibility to look out for him, but it was never a burden.”

THIS IS A REALLY SAD MOMENT FOR WORLDWIDE MUSIC, BARRET IN A LITTLE MOMENTS WAS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PRECURSORS OF PSYCODELIC MUSIC, BUT I KNOW THAT HE REST IN PEACE AND HEAVEN WILL ENJOY OF HIS TALENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so beautiful to have felt such kinship with someone never met. so beautiful the gifts syd gave us all. so beautiful they will last forever.

When I heard Syd died it made me think of things I only now think of occasionally—Arnold Layne in the moonshine. Emily playing. Effervescing Elephants and Gigolo Aunts. I pulled out my Piper at the Gates of Dawn and reaffirmed my long held belief that it holds up remarkably well compared to other albums of the class of 1967. It still blows Surrealistic Pillow away, makes me laugh at Satanic Majesties and its faux psychedlia, and compares very favorably to Sgt Pepper. Syd, I hope you found happiness in your life, in your self. You made millions smile with your music, and I pray your own smiles were neither few, or far between, in the last 35 years. David Bowie once said that Pink Floyd died for him when Syd left the band, but it’s easy to argue that Pink Floyd was reborn when Syd left. Reborn as a tribute to their own original inspiration. Peace Syd. How I wish, How I wish you were here

I have my own feelings of sadness…I JUst hope ROLLING STONE treats him well and does an appropraite size story on the man. thanks

hi syd, I hope to see you in heaven some day

peace Ran

If irst heard Syd Barrett in my first year of University. I had a half-crazed Mancunian/Canadian residence-mate who loved nothing more than penny-ante poker, beer, pot and Barrett, either with Floyd or solo. My memories of Syd Barrett will always be of that slurred, epileptic howl mixed with the smells of beer, pot, and the incense we used (futilely) to hide the smell; the sound of cards slapping the table and the raucous hoot of male laughter; good friends, good times and good memories that lasted just long enough.

Miss you, Syd.

Bless the Floyd for keeping Syd financially secure.. it takes ALL you have in you to have to face the world with this madness in your head- and that’s exactly what it is. I really wish Syd had spoken about this so we others could learn how to live to be sixty while coping with this dread. All I can do is grieve (and that’s all I’ve done for days now) for the cute young gifted musician who’s mind sucked him in, and be inspired by the man who made it to sixty. May you rest in peace, Mr. Barrett. Hope I can make it to sixty as well…

it is sad, but he has been out of the public eye for so long, it is like he was gone anyways….i was sadder about arthur lee’s passing this week…

Gone too soon. One of the brightest stars in the firmament. Hope he found some peace living quietly at home. A quiet life in a quiet street. Take care, Roger.

shine on you crazy diamond

Syd,
I would have loved to hear new music from you or see were your music would have taken you through the years.But more then anything ,I hope your life turned out just like you had planned it too. And you truely lived your days away from music happy and content. shine on…and have a great after life !

Keep playing that tele, syd, we are all ears

hi and good bye

Syd or Roger Keith Barrett you’re very talented.Thank you I found a new and better.Instead of writing music like Lennon.You bought a great feeling in my life. My favorite song you wrote and sang with Pink Floyd is Flaming.Now that you are gone is sad.But now yippe you cant see me but you can.Shine on you crazy diamond.You’ll live on FOREEVER!You’re music will live in my heart THANK YOU SYD BARRETT!

I really loved you,and I mean you…
the legend continue

Syd, thank you for puting together my favourite band and a band that will stay a legend forever and forever..you’re creation made me see music in a different way, and inspired me in so many things.. thank you.. shine on you crazy diamond
i really wish somehow Pink Floyd could get together again in honor of Syd and play one last show, for the world to see their greatness..

Hey Syd, I long for summer’s dying breath,
a chill upon my skin,
as silent shadows stretch in length
and days grow short again.
Redolence of a season’s change
is wafting on the wind.
Prophetic sign of warmth’s demise
the foliage feels chagrined.

As summer’s sun begins to wane
another year grows old.
Beyond the coming equinox
my autumn shall unfold.
She’ll blossom uneventfully,
then stage a grand reprise,
and soon the brush of nature’s hand
will paint the leaves of trees.
Shine on you crazy diamond, I’ll see you beyond the dark side of the moon.

SYD U DEFINATELY WERE AT LENNON’S LEVEL. GREETINGS FROM BOLIVIA

I really wish Syd had spoken about this so we others could learn how to live to be sixty while coping with this dread. All I can do is grieve (and that’s all I’ve done for days now) for the cute young gifted musician who’s mind sucked him in, and be inspired by the man who made it to sixty.

http://www.garycrow.com/index. shtml?poll_ident=13

However he hasn’t done anything in a long while and he probably has moved past Pink Floyd. He wouldn’t want all this attention, and lets not act like this is going to ruin our day. A majority of people aren’t influenced by him and can name only a few songs so lets not act like this is some huge earth shattering news.

jonny701

as a sixteen year old, i can say syd’s death was sad for me. syd, love the band you started, and i cant wait for the book about your life in feburary. youll live on. RIP syd barrett

Hey mate! I just love your songs and your thoughts–

We’re not that different ,and its no use trying to be someone we pretend.

Shine on!

What can I say…….
Peace Out/Peace Within
You were beautifil and you didnt even know it. Rest your weary head in a garden grove my friend.

(yes, yes, i know you were gone from the band for a long time before this one, but its a good one, so bear with me here…)
WISH YOU WERE HERE

I thank god for syd everytime i hear a pinkfloyd song on the radio or when i put a disk in.Without you there would be no floyd at all and that is a scary thought for me.Shine on syd,wish you were here!

i no he quite floyd cause of his health but y exactly?

i no he quite floyd cause of his health but y exactly?

i no he quite floyd cause of his health but y exactly?

It’s a son of Syd Barret!!! Look and listen, it’s crazy…www.youri.info – http://www.psycheblues.com
Cordialy

It’s a son of Syd Barret!!! Look and listen, it’s crazy…psycheblues.com
Cordia ly

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Dear Roger,

Where u could be I can’t tell, but I hope u can see, see how much we miss the.

Sincerely Mitch.

Dear Roger,

Where u could be I can’t tell, but I hope u can see, see how much we miss thee.

Sincerely Mitch.

You may have been absent from the public eye for quite some time now, but your death was the most painful event I’ve ever been though. Knowing you were alive brought me solace. When I found you, I discovered an amazing relation to your mind. Roger, you were the greatest man I’ve ever known of and I curse the fact that we’ll never meet. In your honor and tribute I’ll be adopting the appellation of Syd. Shine on. Peace and Love forever. Garrett (soon to be Syd) Reed – 16

To answer your question Syd,
Yes we will miss you.

You were a genious..they didn’t understand you.

Ofcourse i’ll miss you…you’ll be here all the time.

See you soon, Roger.

I’m still so sad. You were the male me. I wish you much peace and a really big canvas to paint on on your side of eternity. I only wish the world could give back to you what you were able to give it, if only for a short while. Much love, RKB, farewell for now.

I’m still so sad. You were the male me. I wish you much peace and a really big canvas to paint on on your side of eternity. I only wish the world could give back to you what you were able to give it, if only for a short while. Much love, RKB, farewell for now.

muchos recuerdos y momentos con las canciones de Syd, especialmente Lucifer Sam y otras, sin duda una leyenda…..

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