[atlantaprog] Re: The Crazy Diamond passes...

So sad.  Drugs are bad, m'kay?  Well at least to the extent he travelled down 
that road.  I'll have to play some Piper tonight.  RIP.

BK

Allen Welty-Green <agmedia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: Of course, many feel that he 
passed a long time ago...

Pink Floyd legend Syd Barrett dies
Musician a major influence on British psychedelia

Tuesday, July 11, 2006; Posted: 12:13 p.m. EDT (16:13 GMT) LONDON, 
England (CNN) -- Syd Barrett, the eccentric guitarist who founded Pink 
Floyd but later left the music business to live quietly and somewhat 
reclusively, has died at the age of 60, according to a spokeswoman for 
the band.

A spokeswoman for Pink Floyd told the Press Association: "He died very 
peacefully a couple of days ago. There will be a private family 
funeral."

"Syd was the guiding light of the early band lineup and leaves a legacy 
which continues to inspire," the surviving members of Pink Floyd -- 
Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright -- said in a 
statement.

They were "very upset and sad to learn of Syd Barrett's death."

The singer and guitarist, born Roger Keith Barrett on January 6, 1946, 
founded the band in 1965 with Waters, Mason and Wright. (Its name was 
derived from two American bluesmen, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.)

He wrote many of the early hits for the avant-garde rock band, 
including the 1967 album "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" and the 
band's first hit singles, "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play."

His songs were odd and charming combinations of childlike lyrics and 
swirling melodies, often augmented with strange arrangements. The 
titles alluded to space, the occult and sometimes nonsense: "Astronomy 
Domine," "Lucifer Sam," "Chapter 24."

Consider some lyrics of "Bike," from "Piper": "I know a mouse, and he 
hasn't got a house / I don't know why, I call him Gerald / He's getting 
rather old, but he's a good mouse."

Pink Floyd, taken under the wing of Beatles engineer Norman Smith, had 
early success, but Barrett, suffering from mental problems and heavy 
drug use, started demonstrating erratic behavior, including catatonia 
during concerts. He left the band in 1968. He was replaced by David 
Gilmour, who had joined the band as its fifth member earlier that year.

Barrett put out two noted solo albums, "The Madcap Laughs" and 
"Barrett," both in 1970.

In 1975, during the recording of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" 
album, Barrett showed up unannounced at the studio -- ironically, 
during the recording of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," a song about him. 
He had become overweight and shaved his eyebrows; the other members 
didn't recognize him at first.

"Wish You Were Here" was dedicated to Barrett.

Much of British psychedelic music was influenced by Barrett, and a 
number of musicians have credited him, according to Allmusic.com.

Barrett had since lived in anonymity in the eastern English city of 
Cambridge. According to The Associated Press, he suffered from 
diabetes.

The spokeswoman said a low-key, private funeral would be held. She did 
not disclose the cause of death.

                
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