Syd Barrett, 1946-2006

Also related to neither Nosedive nor theatre…

Roger Keith (Syd) Barrett, the original singer, songwriter and guitarist for Pink Floyd, died a couple of days ago (as of this writing, no one’s exactly sure when) of symptoms related to diabetes at the age of 60. In high school, Pete and I acted (as glorified extras) in a staging of Pink Floyd: The Wall in the Palace Theatre in Manchester, New Hampshire, which immediately got me hooked on Pink Floyd’s music (die-hard fans will note I became a fan of the post-Barrett band [i.e., the Waters-Gilmour incarnation], although I should point out that the character of Pink in The Wall is loosely based on Mr. Barrett).

Jody Rosen writes a very spot-on and interesting article about the musician and his place (or lack thereof) in Pink Floyd in Slate.

A Piper at the Gates of Dawn,

James “Crazy Diamond” Comtois