Roger Keith " Syd " Barrett 6 January — 7 July was an English singer, guitarist and songwriter who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in Until his departure in , he was Pink Floyd's frontman and primary songwriter, known for his whimsical style of psychedelia , [ 1 ] English-accented singing, and stream-of-consciousness writing style.
Trained as a painter, Barrett was musically active for fewer than ten years. With Pink Floyd, he recorded the first four singles, their debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn , portions of their second album A Saucerful of Secrets , and several songs that were not released until years later.
In April , Barrett was ousted from the band amid speculation of mental illness and his use of psychedelic drugs.
He began a brief solo career in with the single " Octopus ", followed by albums The Madcap Laughs and Barrett , recorded with the aid of members of Pink Floyd.
In , Barrett left the music industry, retired from public life and guarded his privacy until his death. He continued painting and dedicated himself to gardening.
