Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Syd Barrett, dead at 60.
LONDON - Syd Barrett, the troubled Pink Floyd co-founder who spent his last years in reclusive anonymity, has died, the band said Tuesday. He was 60. A spokeswoman for the band said Barrett died several days ago, but she did not disclose the cause of death. Barrett had suffered from diabetes for years.The surviving members of Pink Floyd - David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright - said they were "very upset and sad to learn of Syd Barrett's death...Syd was the guiding light of the early band lineup and leaves a legacy which continues to inspire," they said in a statement.
Syd Barrett was a gifted songwriter and a visionary. Like many of his contemporaries and all of his bandmates, Syd used drugs to open up into a creative alter-reality. But without a safe haven and safety net, he was unable to avoid repeated and constant exposure to drugs, and in fact was often dosed by friends and fans who perhaps felt it was an honor to "turn on" one of the best young musicians in the London psychedelic scene.
The drug abuse devastated Syd, who self-destructed to the point where one day his band members agreed to simply not pick him up for practice. Syd was an occasional ghostly figure at subsequent recording sessions and gigs, and he eventually retired to the English countryside where his mother helped nurture him back to some semblance of fragile sanity.
Syd Barrett leaves behind an enduring legacy of music, which will continue to live on in the countless fans and musicians he inspired. Shine on.
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Comments (1)
Syd used drugs to open up into a creative alter-reality.
I get so disappointed when I hear an artist talk about drugs as "mind expanding," or some other seemingly positive attribute that tends to portray drugs in a positive light or condones their use. And sadly, as in this case, it ultimately contributes to their demise. Why can't the artist who hides behind this sorry excuse create consciously and of their own volition?
Comment #1 Posted by: Lisa Snider | July 11, 2006 11:53 AM