Syd Barrett, born Roger Keith Barrett on January 6, 1946, in Cambridge, was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter best known as a founding member of Pink Floyd. His early interest in music began with piano and later transitioned to string instruments like the guitar and banjo. He was heavily influenced by artists such as Bo Diddley, Bob Dylan, and The Beatles, which inspired him to start writing his own songs.
Barrett co-founded Pink Floyd in 1965 and was the band’s frontman and primary songwriter until 1968. He contributed to their first four singles and their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967), which reflected his unique psychedelic style. Barrett was known for his whimsical, stream-of-consciousness lyrics and experimental guitar techniques, which included the use of feedback, distortion, and echo.
In the late 1960s, Barrett’s behaviour became increasingly erratic, partly due to his mental health struggles and use of psychedelic drugs. This led to his departure from Pink Floyd in 1968. He then embarked on a short solo career, releasing The Madcap Laughs and Barrett in 1970, with assistance from his former bandmates. By 1972, Barrett retired from the music industry altogether, retreating into a quiet life in Cambridge, where he focused on painting and gardening until his death in 2006.
Though his time in the spotlight was brief, Barrett’s influence on psychedelic rock and his legacy in music remain significant. His former bandmates in Pink Floyd paid tribute to him with the song “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and other works. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 as a member of Pink Floyd.
Syd Barrett’s Career with Pink Floyd (1965–1968)
Syd Barrett joined the band that would eventually become Pink Floyd in 1965, after a series of name changes. Initially called the Tea Set, Barrett renamed the band to The Pink Floyd Sound. Barrett quickly became the group’s driving creative force, writing most of the songs for their debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967) and contributing to their signature psychedelic sound. Pink Floyd’s music drew heavily from Barrett’s innovative style, blending rock, jazz, and improvisation.
Barrett’s growing use of LSD in 1965 had a profound impact on his music and personality. His experimentation with drugs influenced the band’s creative direction but also led to significant personal struggles. As Pink Floyd became popular within London’s underground psychedelic scene, Barrett’s behaviour grew increasingly erratic due to his drug use. He experienced mental health issues, including depression, memory lapses, hallucinations, and erratic mood swings.
Throughout 1967 and 1968, Barrett’s deteriorating condition affected his performances. He would often stand on stage staring blankly, fail to play his instrument, or detune his guitar mid-performance. His behaviour became more unpredictable during Pink Floyd’s U.S. tours, and he struggled to engage with interviews or performances. During this time, the band began to rely on other musicians, like David O’List from The Nice, to fill in when Barrett was unable to perform.
Despite his significant contributions to Pink Floyd’s early success, Barrett was forced to leave the band in April 1968 due to his ongoing mental health challenges and inability to perform. He was replaced by his friend David Gilmour, marking the end of his brief but influential tenure with Pink Floyd.
Syd Barrett’s Departure from Pink Floyd
By late 1967, Syd Barrett’s erratic behaviour, largely influenced by his use of LSD, made it difficult for him to perform consistently. To manage this, Pink Floyd invited David Gilmour to join as a second guitarist around Christmas that year, initially to cover for Barrett during performances. For a short time, Barrett would still appear on stage, but often wandered around aimlessly, rarely contributing to the performances. His unpredictable behavior soon frustrated the other members of the band.
On 26 January 1968, while en route to a show at Southampton University, the band decided not to pick Barrett up. Someone in the car asked if they should collect him, and another replied, “Let’s not bother.” This decision marked the beginning of Barrett’s departure from Pink Floyd. Initially, the band hoped to keep him on as a non-touring member, similar to how the Beach Boys had kept Brian Wilson. However, this plan quickly proved impractical.
During what became his final practice session with the band, Barrett presented a new song, “Have You Got It Yet?”. The track seemed straightforward at first, but as the band tried to learn it, they realised Barrett was intentionally changing the arrangement while they played. It became clear that this was a joke—Barrett’s way of toying with them. David Gilmour later recalled that despite his struggles, Barrett’s sense of humour remained intact.
Despite his influence on the band’s earlier work, only one of Barrett’s songs, “Jugband Blues,” made it onto Pink Floyd’s second album, A Saucerful of Secrets (1968). Other songs like “Apples and Oranges,” “Scream Thy Last Scream,” and “Vegetable Man” were left unreleased for many years, only seeing the light of day in 2016. Barrett also contributed guitar to two tracks on A Saucerful of Secrets, “Remember a Day” and “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun.”
The band never directly informed Barrett of his departure. Richard Wright, who was living with him at the time, would leave for shows under the pretense of buying cigarettes, returning hours later to find Barrett in the same position, seemingly unaware of the time that had passed. This incident was later referenced in Pink Floyd’s 1982 film The Wall. On 6 April 1968, Pink Floyd officially announced Barrett’s departure on the same day they ended their contract with Blackhill Enterprises, who chose to retain Barrett as they had once considered him the group’s musical leader.
