Syd Barrett

b. Roger Keith Barrett, 6 January 1946, Cambridge, England. One of English pop's most enigmatic talents, Barrett embraced music in the early '60s as a member of Geoff Mutt And The Mottoes, a local group modelled on Cliff RichardAnd The Shadows. From there he joined an R&B act, the Hollering Blues, before moving to London to study at the Camberwell School of Art. In 1965, he joined three architectural students in a group he initially named the Pink Floyd Sound, but quickly dropped its superfluous suffix. He became the unit's undisputed leader, composing their early hit singles, Arnold Layne and See Emily Play, as well as the bulk of THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN. An impulsive, impressionistic guitarist, his unconventional use of feedback, slide and echo did much to transfer the mystery and imagery of Pink Floyd's live sound into a studio equivalent. However, the strain of this position was too great for a psyche dogged by instability and an indulgence in hallucinogenic drugs. Barrett's behaviour grew increasingly erratic and in April 1968 he withdrew from the line-up. Tentative recording sessions were undertaken the following month, but it was another year before the artist seriously began work on a solo album. THE MADCAP LAUGHS was the product of two separate collaborations, firstly with producer Malcolm Jones, latterly with former colleagues Dave Gilmour and Roger Waters. The end result was an hypnotic, ethereal set on which Barrett's fragile performances were left basically unadorned or featured sympathetic support from the Soft Machine. By contrast BARRETT was much more assertive wherein the singer's work was largely overdubbed by a band consisting of Gilmour, Rick Wright and Jerry Shirley. Although it lacked the poignancy of its predecessor, the album included the vitriolic Rats, one of Barrett's most chilling compositions.
The singer then returned to Cambridge where he remained in seclusion until 1972 and the formation of Stars, a short-lived unit which also featured Jack Monck (ex- Delivery) and Twink (ex- Tomorrow and Pretty Things). The trio made a disastrous debut supporting the MC5, and collapsed when Barrett failed to appear for a second gig. Rumours of new recordings have since proliferated at random, fuelled by his occasional appearance at the Abbey Road recording studios. He garnered a high profile in 1975 when Pink Floyd included a tribute—Shine On You Crazy Diamond—on their best-selling WISH YOU WERE HERE, but Barrett's precarious mental state precludes any further active involvement in music. OPEL, a 1988 release comprising of unissued masters and alternative takes, enhanced his reputation for startling, original work. Barrett was last rumoured to have returned to painting.