Icon Research- Syd Barrett

Rodger Keith 'Syd' Barrett (born 6th January 1946) was an English Singer-songwriter from Cambridge. In 1965 Barrett and a group of friends started the group, 'The Tea Sets'. Though continuously changing there name and line-ups from 'Abdabs' to 'Sigma 6' to 'The Megadeaths', in 1967 they settled on a name to accompany their newly released album 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn', their name; 'Pink Floyd'. 

Syd Barrett

Syd, writing the majority off the song took his first dose of LSD in the summer of 67, where he tried to join a Sikh sect called 'Sant Mat' but was deemed too young. due to his spiraling addiction Barrett who was once describes as joyful, friendly and extroverted was now becoming increasingly depressed and withdrawn from society. Due to his antics he became unable to perform with the band, they called in a second guitarist, Dave Gilmore who would sing and play guitar while Syd just walked round on stage being vacant.
One member, Roger Waters recalls the time Syd came into the studio with a song he called, 'Have you got it yet?'. At first seemed quite a simple song but when they came to learn it found it impossible to learn. It turns out while they were playing, Barrett had been changing the arrangements, he would then play it with the changes and sing, 'Have you got it yet?' of course eventually they realized they never would get it and Syd was just using his idiosyncratic sense of humour on them. Rodger called it, "A real act of mad genius".

Syd Barrett, 5th June 1975

On the 6th of April 1968 it was announced Barrett was no longer a member of Pink Floyd. However he later went on to release two solo albums titled, 'The Madcap Laughs' and 'Barrett'in 1969 and 1970.
Pink Floyd however continued to record albums and in 1975 with the album, 'Wish you were here' was written in dedication and memory of their friend they no longer saw. During one of the recording sessions of the track, 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' Rodger Walters and Richard Wright were surprised to see a random huge, bald, fat guy sitting in the corner of the room, 45 minuets into the recording they realized it was Syd. Walters became so distressed by the appearance of his friend from childhood it reduced him to tears.

Retired from the music business, Barrett lived a secluded life back at his home in Cambridge being looked after by his family due to his various mental health issues including schizophrenia. He later died on the 6th June 2006 from pancreatic cancer. Syd's life really shows how extensive drug use can crush even the greatest of intellectual and imaginative people.