Syd Barrett Rest In Peace

[kayo]

Pink Floyd Frontman Syd Barrett Dies

By Adam Bernstein

Washington Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, July 12, 2006; Page B06

Syd Barrett, 60, the singer-songwriter-guitarist who co-founded the British rock band Pink Floyd and whose drug-fueled mental collapse became a cautionary tale of rock lore, died of complications from diabetes July 7 at his home in Cambridgeshire, England.

Darkly handsome and with brooding, poetic eyes, Mr. Barrett was the charismatic early frontman of Pink Floyd. He wrote several of its psychedelic pop hits of the late 1960s, including "Arnold Layne," about a transvestite who steals women's underwear from clotheslines, "See Emily Play," about a schoolgirl groupie, and "Astronomy Domine," which tried to sonically reproduce an LSD trip.

Mr. Barrett became known for compelling experiments on guitar, including slide and echo effects; extended solos on songs such as "Interstellar Overdrive"; and using the teeth of his Zippo lighter to strum his instrument. This became as much a part of the band's mystique as its mesmerizing visual effects in concert.

With band mates Roger Waters on bass, Rick Wright on keyboard and Nick Mason on drums, Mr. Barrett helped Pink Floyd challenge the Rolling Stones and the Beatles as the most-dynamic English export. Mr. Barrett would not be around when the band had its greatest success in the 1970s with the albums "Dark Side of the Moon," "Wish You Were Here" and "The Wall."

His abundant LSD use, captured in the short 1966 film "Syd Barrett's First Trip," seemed to worsen his fragile grip on reality. His mischievous, sometimes mean backstage behavior and increasingly catatonic onstage presence led to his replacement by David Gilmour, a close friend.

Pink Floyd band mates paid tribute to Mr. Barrett, who retreated to a largely hermetic life, on the recordings "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and "Wish You Were Here." Other musicians covered his songs, and David Bowie said in a statement yesterday, "His impact on my thinking was enormous."

Peter Jenner, a former Pink Floyd manager-producer, said of Mr. Barrett in a 1990 interview: "The pressures which hit him were the pressures from going from just being another guy on the block to being the spokesman of your generation. Especially during the psychedelic thing, there was a lot of heavy messiah-ism going around. People would come up and ask him the meaning of life -- that put a young person who'd just written a song and played a bit of guitar under enormous pressure."

Roger Keith Barrett was born Jan. 6, 1946, in Cambridge, England, where his father was a university lecturer in pathology. He was drawn to jazz and blues early on, playing ukulele and later switching to guitar, and he hung out in music clubs. He took his nickname from a old Cambridge jazz drummer he knew, Sid Barrett, and used a "y" for effect.

Mr. Barrett was an indifferent art student in London when he joined his high school friend Waters in a rock band that included Mason and Wright. Mr. Barrett wrote many of the group's early songs, inspired mostly by prodigious drug use and an astronomical atlas he carried everywhere.

He also renamed the band, formerly the Screaming Abdabs, after two obscure American bluesmen, Pink Anderson and Floyd "Dipper Boy" Council.

In 1967, Pink Floyd won a contract with EMI and began recording its debut LP, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn," at London's Abbey Road Studios. The release took its name from a chapter title in Mr. Barrett's favorite children's book, "The Wind in the Willows."

With its hallucinogenic "space-rock" sound effects, "Piper" was meant to compete with the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album, which was being recorded down the hall. Mr. Barrett played a large creative role in the engineering of the Pink Floyd album.

my own experience with Syd Barrett.

In 96 and 97 I lived in Cambridge, as an hotel employee and aspiring musician.

Every Saturday my friends and I would head out to the market square, and market, to rummage the old CD´s and bootlegs. EVERYTHING PINKFLOYD could be found there.

Very regularly, this old bum would cart up this battery pack, amplifier, and sound effects box that looked home made.

He´d plug in his battered electric guitar adn sit there and just jam out physcadelic spacey guitar jams by himself.

He never talked. He never put his hat out. He just tripped away on the edge of market square, or sometime on the main street in front of the Woolworths and M&S.

A year or so into my living there, a spanish language student I´d been er... spending time with, came out with me to listen. It had become a ritual. We were sixteen seventeen, we´d smoke a joint or two on Parker´s Piece (supposedly the birthplace of Football) and then head up the street to sit around listening to this guy jam.

Spanish Girl says to me, "Chris, you never told me this Syd Barrett?!"

I did a double take. Of course, for the girls sake, "Yeah, he´s an old friend."

I went home later and after dropping her off, I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Syd Barrett it was indeed.

After that, and perhaps as a direct result, I went to the Boat Race. (no not the pansy race) ...The bOat Race is a legendary 80 year old pub, where Syd and Roger apparently started jamming together.

Every Sunday, there was an open Blues jam from noon to five.

That was still the case when I lived there, and that is where I played some of my first impromtu gigs myself.

(Didn´t get to meet my own "syd" unfortunately.)

Roger Keith "syd" Barrett. May you rest in peace, and allow those of us in peace to continue your legacy.

Thank you for all you have contributed. And forgive us all we never let you.

Bless.

Kayo.

[Tippaporn]

Very cool story, kayo.

May you jam in peace, Mr. Barrett. There's one angel who won't be playing no harp.

Thanks for the great tunes.

[libya 115]

Nice story: however 'Syd Barrett' was not jamming in 1996/1997 in Cambridge at a market or even privately in his home in St.Margarets, Cambridge.

He was a recluse. Hiding from society, shopping during quiet times, attending to his garden and painting a little, writing and listening to classical music: often Elgar and Walton.

[kayo]

Pink Floyd Frontman Syd Barrett Dies

By Adam Bernstein

Washington Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, July 12, 2006; Page B06

Syd Barrett, 60, the singer-songwriter-guitarist who co-founded the British rock band Pink Floyd and whose drug-fueled mental collapse became a cautionary tale of rock lore, died of complications from diabetes July 7 at his home in Cambridgeshire, England.

Mr. Barrett was an indifferent art student in London when he joined his high school friend Waters in a rock band that included Mason and Wright. Mr. Barrett wrote many of the group's early songs, inspired mostly by prodigious drug use and an astronomical atlas he carried everywhere.

my own experience with Syd Barrett.

In 96 and 97 I lived in Cambridge, as an hotel employee and aspiring musician.

Every Saturday my friends and I would head out to the market square, and market, to rummage the old CD´s and bootlegs. EVERYTHING PINKFLOYD could be found there.

Very regularly, this old bum would cart up this battery pack, amplifier, and sound effects box that looked home made.

He´d plug in his battered electric guitar adn sit there and just jam out physcadelic spacey guitar jams by himself.

He never talked. He never put his hat out. He just tripped away on the edge of market square, or sometime on the main street in front of the Woolworths and M&S.

A year or so into my living there, a spanish language student I´d been er... spending time with, came out with me to listen. It had become a ritual. We were sixteen seventeen, we´d smoke a joint or two on Parker´s Piece (supposedly the birthplace of Football) and then head up the street to sit around listening to this guy jam.

Spanish Girl says to me, "Chris, you never told me this Syd Barrett?!"

I did a double take. Of course, for the girls sake, "Yeah, he´s an old friend."

I went home later and after dropping her off, I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Syd Barrett it was indeed.

After that, and perhaps as a direct result, I went to the Boat Race. (no not the pansy race) ...The bOat Race is a legendary 80 year old pub, where Syd and Roger apparently started jamming together.

Every Sunday, there was an open Blues jam from noon to five.

That was still the case when I lived there, and that is where I played some of my first impromtu gigs myself.

Bless.

Kayo.

Nice story: however 'Syd Barrett' was not jamming in 1996/1997 in Cambridge at a market or even privately in his home in St.Margarets, Cambridge.

He was a recluse. Hiding from society, shopping during quiet times, attending to his garden and painting a little, writing and listening to classical music: often Elgar and Walton.

Having, since his death, gotten to know his own music, and his own story more n detail, I must stand corrected on the above story.

I truly believed it for the past decade.

Too bad.

Sorry!

Kayo.

PS: Can I fob it off on the dumb'ass spanish girl I highlighted?

[davidjtayler]

Pink Floyd Frontman Syd Barrett Dies

By Adam Bernstein

Washington Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, July 12, 2006; Page B06

Syd Barrett, 60, the singer-songwriter-guitarist who co-founded the British rock band Pink Floyd and whose drug-fueled mental collapse became a cautionary tale of rock lore, died of complications from diabetes July 7 at his home in Cambridgeshire, England.

Mr. Barrett was an indifferent art student in London when he joined his high school friend Waters in a rock band that included Mason and Wright. Mr. Barrett wrote many of the group's early songs, inspired mostly by prodigious drug use and an astronomical atlas he carried everywhere.

my own experience with Syd Barrett.

In 96 and 97 I lived in Cambridge, as an hotel employee and aspiring musician.

Every Saturday my friends and I would head out to the market square, and market, to rummage the old CD´s and bootlegs. EVERYTHING PINKFLOYD could be found there.

Very regularly, this old bum would cart up this battery pack, amplifier, and sound effects box that looked home made.

He´d plug in his battered electric guitar adn sit there and just jam out physcadelic spacey guitar jams by himself.

He never talked. He never put his hat out. He just tripped away on the edge of market square, or sometime on the main street in front of the Woolworths and M&S.

A year or so into my living there, a spanish language student I´d been er... spending time with, came out with me to listen. It had become a ritual. We were sixteen seventeen, we´d smoke a joint or two on Parker´s Piece (supposedly the birthplace of Football) and then head up the street to sit around listening to this guy jam.

Spanish Girl says to me, "Chris, you never told me this Syd Barrett?!"

I did a double take. Of course, for the girls sake, "Yeah, he´s an old friend."

I went home later and after dropping her off, I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Syd Barrett it was indeed.

After that, and perhaps as a direct result, I went to the Boat Race. (no not the pansy race) ...The bOat Race is a legendary 80 year old pub, where Syd and Roger apparently started jamming together.

Every Sunday, there was an open Blues jam from noon to five.

That was still the case when I lived there, and that is where I played some of my first impromtu gigs myself.

Bless.

Kayo.

Nice story: however 'Syd Barrett' was not jamming in 1996/1997 in Cambridge at a market or even privately in his home in St.Margarets, Cambridge.

He was a recluse. Hiding from society, shopping during quiet times, attending to his garden and painting a little, writing and listening to classical music: often Elgar and Walton.

Having, since his death, gotten to know his own music, and his own story more n detail, I must stand corrected on the above story.

I truly believed it for the past decade.

Too bad.

Sorry!

Kayo.

PS: Can I fob it off on the dumb'ass spanish girl I highlighted?

Its OK KO ... I still believe in Santa Claus ...

[taxexile]

Syd Barrett auction results -

November 2006

SYD'S FINAL BELONGINGS RAISE ฃ120,000

FOR CHARITY

Items from the estate of Syd Barrett, including signed artwork never seen

before, were sold last night by Cheffins Auctioneers in Cambridge in their Fine

Art Sale.

In total, the sale raised over ฃ120,000 (approximately US$230,000), with the ten

paintings alone fetching ฃ55,000 (US$107,000).

The sale consisted of items left by Syd in his Cambridge house, which itself

recently sold for ฃ300,000. Syd spent his last years living a quiet, yet

content, life in the town. Both of his bikes, which he had used every day for

visits to the local shops and pub, were hand painted by him and were included in

the sale, raising over ฃ10,000.

Syd's family stated that part of the monies raised from the auction of his final

belongings would be used for educational development within the art world.

Syd trained at Camberwell Art School in London where his talents as an artist

were developed. He always considered himself more an artist than a musician and

the family wanted him to be remembered in the future not only as a talented

musician but also as someone whose love of art was with him most strongly in his

final days.

Whilst the artwork met with the expectations of some, in terms of final selling

price, some of the more unusual items in the sale also met with a lot of

interest and some intense bidding. With a packed saleroom, the atmosphere at

times could be cut with a knife!

His leather armchair, with a faded and worn section where his head rested, was

sold for ฃ1,100.

An artificial, decorated Christmas tree raised ฃ800, and his

homemade breadbin, which he used to store his clothes pegs, went for ฃ1,400.

A pair of A5 sized notebooks went for ฃ1,300 to a buyer who had flown over

especially for the sale, from Ohio, USA.

This was a snip compared to his

collection of art books, which reached an impressive ฃ4,000.

It was the paintings though that were most sought after. "Still Life With

Lemons", possibly his last signed painting to exist, had a mass of bids, and

ended at ฃ9,500. "Still Life Of Dried Flowers" from Syd's days at Camberwell

made ฃ8,500.

The other pieces of art attracted similar interest.

Many of the items appeared to be bought by fans and collectors, each after an

item with a link to a man who made such a big impression on their lives.

Our thanks to Lisa at Cheffins for her continued help.

Date news posted: 30 November 2006

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[Little Black Duck]

Kayo..You never cease to amaze me, Floyd no less..

Big Fan and sorry to hear you lost an Icon..

My thoughts are with you my friend..The Duck..

[libya 115]

Barrett leaves £1.25m

PINK Floyd founder Syd Barrett left more than £1.25 million in his will.

The psychedelic star left the band before the height of their success that saw them sell 200 million albums.

Syd wanted to stay away from the public spotlight and retreated to Cambridge in 1981, but he still received royalties from compilations, live albums and singles that featured his songs.

Band member Dave Gilmour once said: "I made sure the money got to him."

Syd, born Roger Keith Barrett, died in July from pancreatic cancer, aged 60. His gross estate was £1,278,270, with a net figure of £1, 250,455.

As reported in later editions of yesterday (Friday, 10 November)'s News, he left his house in St Margaret's Square to his sister Rosemary Breen, who also receives 22 per cent of the bequest.

Another sister, Ruth Brown and brother Donald, receive the same and brother Alan 34 per cent.