The Associated Press called Barrett a "... troubled genius who...spent his last years in reclusive anonymity."
Barrett was born January 6, 1946, in Cambridge, England and is reported to have died on July l7, 2006.
According to rockthenet.com, Pink Floyd was founded "...when Syd Barrett was rooming in London with Roger Waters in 1964, and Barrett and Waters formed a band with Nick Mason. The group had numerous name evolutions but was eventually changed to Pink Floyd in honor of blues performers Pink Anderson and Floyd Council."
Barrett's years with Pink Floyd were relatively short, between 1965 -1968.
Wikipedia offers this take on Barrett:
There has been much speculation concerning the psychological well-being of Syd Barrett. Many believe he suffered from schizophrenia, though he didn't totally fit the typical profile for that condition. Additionally, some have suggested that Barrett had traits associated with Asperger's Syndrome, a condition most often placed on the autism spectrum. Barrett's use of recreational drugs, especially LSD, during the 1960s is well-documented. Some believe that Barrett's drug use helped trigger (or at the very least inflame) his mental illness.
Pink Floyd is probably best known for the album "Dark Side of the Moon" which was released to Radio in March, 1973. The single "Money" became a Top 40 hit and the album spent 741 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart - an amazing feat.
Also well known, Pink Floyd's concept album, "The Wall" was released in 1979 and "Another Brick in the Wall Part II" became a chart hit in both the U.S. and England.
Rock critics point out that both "Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall" contain songs which delve into mental issues, believed to be references to Barrett and his troubles.
According to pinkfloydhyperbase.dk says: "Nearly 1,000,000 Pink Floyd catalog albums are sold each year worldwide. On average, more than 8,000 copies of "Dark Side Of The Moon" are scanned each week in the U.S. alone..."
