Questions
What was Syd Barrett’s real name?
He was born Roger Keith Barrett on January 6, 1946, in Cambridge, England. He picked up the nickname "Syd" as a teenager.
How did he get the nickname "Syd"?
He reportedly adopted it around age 14 from Sid "the Beat" Barrett, an older Cambridge jazz bassist, changing the spelling to make it his own. Another account says schoolmates gave him the name after he wore a flat cap instead of his scout beret.
What band did Syd Barrett found?
He co-founded Pink Floyd in 1965, back when the group was called the Tea Set. He was the frontman, guitarist, and main songwriter until 1968.
Where did the name "Pink Floyd" come from?
Barrett created it by combining the first names of two blues musicians, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council, whom he found in the sleeve notes of a 1962 Blind Boy Fuller album.
What songs did he write for Pink Floyd?
He wrote the early singles "Arnold Layne," "See Emily Play," and "Apples and Oranges" in 1967, and penned 8 of the 11 songs on the debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967).
Did Syd Barrett release solo music?
Yes. After leaving Pink Floyd he put out the single "Octopus" in 1969 and two solo albums, The Madcap Laughs and Barrett, both in 1970.
Why did he leave Pink Floyd?
By late 1967 his behavior had become erratic, reportedly tied to heavy LSD, amphetamine, and Mandrax use, and he grew unable to perform reliably. David Gilmour was brought in as a second guitarist to cover for him.
Is it true the band just stopped picking him up?
Reportedly yes. On January 26, 1968, while driving to a show at Southampton University, the other members decided not to collect Barrett, with one of them saying, "Let’s not bother."
What was the "Have You Got It Yet?" story?
Reportedly at a late practice session Barrett presented a song called "Have You Got It Yet?" that was impossible to learn, because he kept changing the arrangement every time the band tried to follow along.
What is "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" about?
Pink Floyd recorded the 1975 song suite as a tribute to Barrett. Its lyrics even reference his own song "If It’s In You" from The Madcap Laughs.
Did he really show up while they were recording the tribute to him?
Reportedly on June 5, 1975, Barrett unexpectedly walked into Abbey Road Studios as the band mixed "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." He was overweight and had shaved his head and eyebrows, and his old bandmates did not recognize him at first. It was the last time any of them saw him.
What did he do after leaving music?
In 1978 he moved back to Cambridge to live with his mother, returned to his birth name Roger, took up painting large abstract canvases, and became an avid gardener who visited the Botanic Gardens.
Did he ever acknowledge his Pink Floyd past again?
In 2002, in a rare nod to his music career, he autographed 320 copies of photographer Mick Rock’s book Psychedelic Renegades, signing them "Barrett."
When did Syd Barrett die?
He died on July 7, 2006, at age 60, from pancreatic cancer. He had been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Pink Floyd in 1996 but did not attend.
