Roger Keith Barrett

As a founder member of Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett wrote songs at once wistful, surreal and quintessentially English. Barrett's increasingly erratic mental state led to him leaving the band in 1968. Roger Keith Barrett was born in Cambridge in January 1946.

The son of a well-known pathologist, he acquired the nickname "Syd" during his teens, a reference to Sid Barrett, a local jazz drummer. It was Syd Barrett who christened the new group The Pink Floyd Sound, in homage to two of his own musical heroes, the bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.

Syd Barrett's solo career was short. His first album, the inconsistent The Madcap Laughs, appeared in January 1970, and its altogether more polished follow-up, Barratt, hit the record shops that November. Songs like Gigolo Aunt, Vegetable Man and Dominoes, showcased on his albums and in live sessions recorded for BBC radio, brought Syd Barrett a cult following. But a lack of popular recognition, combined with the increasing fragility of his health, led Syd Barrett to abandon the music industry altogether and, despite a couple of abortive attempts to re-ignite his career, Barrett remained, for more than 30 years, British rock music's greatest recluse.

He did however, attend Pink Floyd's recording sessions in 1975, ironically sitting in the studio while the band recorded Shine On You Crazy Diamond. As the band gathered at the studio,Syd Barrett was seen bald, with no eyebrows, jumping up and down brushing his teeth. Prior to this event the band had not seen Syd for seven years. Syd did and still does influence a great number of people, and deserves alot of gratitude for that. he passed away July seventh, 2006. he will be dearly missed by those close to him, and fans in general. rest in peace, Mr.Barrett.