Syd Barrett, one of the original members of British rock band Pink Floyd, died peacefully in early July 2006 at the age of 60, a band spokeswoman confirmed. A private funeral was planned for the family.
Barrett helped establish Pink Floyd in 1965 and led the group until 1968, when he departed for a solo career. His tenure with the band was cut short by severe dependence on LSD, which left him unable to perform reliably. The remaining members quietly brought in guitarist Dave Gilmour and began leaving Barrett off the concert schedule.
In his later years, Barrett had been living quietly in Cambridge, England, and had returned to using his birth name, Roger Keith Barrett, along with his earlier interest in painting.
Bandmate Roger Waters honored Barrett in song on more than one occasion, including "Wish You Were Here," performed at the 2005 Live 8 reunion concert in London, at which Barrett was absent. Barrett is widely believed to have chosen the band's name from two obscure blues musicians, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council, whose recordings were found in his collection.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in July 2006, in its own words.