Legendary rock band Pink Floyd enjoyed years of stardom and eminence, thanks to the brilliance of Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason and David Gilmour. As a founding member of the band, Barrett made significant contributions to the band’s glory and was a dominant songwriter and vocalist.
Towards the late 60s however, the musician slowly retracted from the band and became a recluse- something that affected the trajectory of the band and the fan following of millions. What exactly happened to Syd Barrett?
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Who Are In Pink Floyd?
Pink Floyd is a British rock band that was formed in 1965. With Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Richard Wright and Nick Mason, the band has since become synonymous with their founder and guitarist David Gilmour.
The band was one of the famous rock bands and continues to influence the rock scene even now. Though they have been snubbed by the Grammys often, their impact on music has been undeniable across several decades. Starting from the early 60s to now, they have continued to dedicate their lives to music.
Musically, Pink Floyd’s sound is dark and introspective which contrasts sharply to the flower-power-inspired sounds of many other 1960s rock bands. Despite this difference in tone, they went on to become one of the best-selling groups in history with an estimated 200 million albums sold worldwide. Their psychedelic sound was instrumental in shaping what would come to be known as “art rock.”
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Who Was Syd Barrett?
One of the most iconic figures of the post-psychedelic era, Syd Barrett was one half of Pink Floyd, the lead singer and guitar player for the band. Barrett has been described as a visionary, and he was considered by many critics to be an innovator in progressive rock music.
Initially a founding member in 1965, he eventually left to pursue his interests. He was probably best known for his song “Arnold Layne”, but made only two more studio albums with Pink Floyd before retiring permanently from music due to mental illness.
Barrett exited the music industry in 1972, withdrew from public life, and maintained absolute privacy until his passing. He committed himself to gardening and kept painting. Pink Floyd recorded multiple tributes to him, such as the song suite ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond‘ from 1975 and a portion of the rock opera ‘The Wall‘ from 1979.
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What destroyed Syd Barrett?
Barrett started acting erratic in late 1967 and early 1968, mostly because of his excessive usage of psychedelic drugs like LSD. As someone who was described as happy, outgoing, and extroverted, over time, he developed severe mood swings, memory loss, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and bouts of catatonia. He also became more and more despondent and introverted. Even though the changes happened gradually, he disappeared for a long weekend and returned “a completely different person,” according to Wright.
His transformation was marked, among other things, by the emergence of a lifeless, blank stare. Barrett frequently lost his whereabouts and was unable to identify people.
Barrett’s instability eventually led him to leave the band in 1968, after just one album. He remained out of the public eye since his departure from music but occasionally resurfaced in interviews or video footage seeming like a different man than he once was.
Barrett had long suffered from depression and schizophrenia for which he took prescription medication throughout most of his adult life.
How Did Syd Barrett Die?
Syd Barrett died at his home at the age of 60 on July 7th, 2006 and his death hit the music industry hard. However, the former lead singer of Pink Floyd lived a life fraught with confusion and mental illness which predisposed him to certain well-known health risks. Even though he fought mental illness which had impaired his ability to play music and assemble sentences he left behind a legacy of brilliant music.
With questionable lifelong drug use coupled with exposure to second-hand smoke, Barrett’s decline into mental health issues was not unusual among musician peers in 1970s England. Other primary forms of “exposure” include malnutrition before his tragic demise and a lack of physical activity due to severe arthritic pain affecting his arms and legs.
In conclusion, Syd Barret’s death is a tragedy that impacted many people on a global scale. He will be always remembered for his work with Pink Floyd and the amazing legacy he left behind, and the continuous effort to keep him and his art alive in his music.
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