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Roger Keith (Syd) Barrett was one of the most important and influential musicians in London’s underground music scene of the late sixties. He was a founding member of, and the original songwriter for, Pink Floyd. His time with the band did not last for more than two years, but his influence on their music was profound. When, in 2001, Pink Floyd released 'Echoes, The Best of Pink Floyd' Syd had written, or contributed to, over a fifth of the tracks.
Roger Barrett was born on January 6th 1946. He was the fourth of five children and grew up in a happy family in Cambridge. His mother and father gave him great support and encouraged his love of art and music, but sadly, when Roger was fourteen, his father died. As a teenager he was given the nickname 'Sid' after the Cambridge drummer Sid Barrett, he personalised it by changing the spelling to 'Syd'.
In 1964, aged eighteen, Syd enrolled at Camberwell Art School where he proved a talented artist (he always considered himself an artist rather than a musician). It was in 1965 that his road to fame began, when he joined a band that, after several changes of name and line up, became Pink Floyd (this was his invention, inspired by the names of two American blues singers, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council). As the band became increasingly famous he began to suffer the pressures of this fame and the associated rock star lifestyle. In time, he left the band and withdrew from the public eye. Syd found contentment when he returned to Cambridge, to live an anonymous and generally solitary life, supported by the constant care and unconditional love of his sister and best friend, Rosemary. She recalls Syd as 'a loving and unique man', who, although immersed in his thoughts and creativity, enjoyed time spent with his niece and nephews and, who had, in spite of his shyness, appreciated his neighbours and the local shopkeepers.
When he had settled back into his Cambridge life Syd continued with his painting. Sadly, Syd's desire to live firmly in the present (having no interest in his past nor any desire to exploit it) left him baffled by the unbidden and unbroken interest paid to him by journalists and fans alike. This, and his total disinterest in materialism, had a profound affect on his art. He would paint and, having finished a painting, photograph it and destroy the canvas. Syd also entertained a keen interest in DIY, although Rosemary admits that he was 'always laughing at his attempts, but he enjoyed it'.
Syd Barrett will always be remembered for his unique song writing talents and as a legendary influence on the world of music. Ironically, although he only wanted to focus on the 'now', Syd and the part that his music played, will not be forgotten, but finally, perhaps, he will no longer mind. He may have gone into 'the other room' but his 'musical tunes' live on, and through projects such as The City Wakes, he can still 'make them work'.
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