Syd Barrett's sister on Pink Floyd reunion at Live 8

The below article was in the Cambridge Evening News yesterday.


Star's choice not to shine

Pink Floyd may be reforming for the biggest gig of the decade but it would seem one of the band's founders could not care less.

The wayward genius Syd Barrett, who lives as a recluse in Cambridge, appears indifferent that one of the greatest feuds in rock history will end for the Live 8 concert next month.
Recluse: Roger ‘Syd’ Barrett
The man who wrote many of the band's early songs shuns fans, rarely answers his door and has not spoken to his former bandmates - Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Rick Wright, or his replacement, Dave Gilmour - for nearly three decades.

According to his sister, Rosemary Breen - one of the few people Barrett still sees - news that his old group is reforming has left him unmoved.

"I saw him this morning and told him the news, but he did not react,' said Mrs Breen, who lives a few miles from her 59-year-old brother.

"That is another life for him, another world in another time. He is not Syd anymore, he is Roger," added Mrs Breen, referring to Barrett's real name.

Barrett, who created, named and powered the pied pipers of the psychedelic rock movement, lives alone in a semi-detached house.

One of his neighbours said: "He never gives anyone here the time of day. I see him perhaps once a month going to the shop to get a newspaper of cigarettes or whatever but I've never spoken to him.

"No-one in this street has ever been inside his house. We've had people coming from all over the world to see him. They sit on the pavement outside his house but he's never opened the door.

"I know he's inside but he never speaks to anyone. I don't think he would be interested in rejoining Pink Floyd. They'll have to do the concert without him."

Barrett left Pink Floyd in 1968, two years after forming the group, his brain frazzled by drugs but his legacy already assured.

Five years later the band released Dark Side Of The Moon and the single Money.

In 1975 came Wish You Were Here (with its tribute to Barrett in the song Shine On You Crazy Diamond). The band had hit the big time. But as Waters, the driving creative force in the band after Barrett, said years later: "Everything after Dark Side Of The Moon was very difficult."

Barratt turned his back on stardom and lives, seemingly happy, on the royalties that still roll in from the songs he wrote in almost total anonymity.

Mrs Breen said: "There is no contact and he does not want them to get in touch with him. He is fine, he is very well. He does DIY, he listens to music and he goes out."

Mrs Breen added that her brother would probably not watch Live8, when his old band will play alongside Sir Paul McCartney, U2 and Madonna.

 

I think Syd is more together than people realize. British author Tim Willis had a brief encounter with Syd a few years back and said "I left convinced he was as sane I am." Some fans met him in the late 90's (the have the photos to prove it) and said he seemed "totally on the ball." Something is still clearly wrong with him but he's not a vegetable or anything - he lives by himself, buys his groceries, pays the bills, etc.

 

I don't think it's sad. He's living independently, seemingly coping well with his mental illness, and living the life he wants to lead. It's his choice to be reclusive, it's not like people are shunning him. If anything, I guess it's sad for fans who wish he was like Brian Wilson, but I don't feel sad for Syd.

 

Although I'm no expert on Syd, it could be argued that his choice to make a clean break with his troubled past was a better one, both for him and his fans, than Brian's choice to revisit Smile and to tour behind it.

 

Nope. Two different troubled souls, two different paths.

 

Although I obviously wouldn't know, I kind of suspect that myself, too.

Frankly, being Roger Barrett today when everyone sees you as a 21-year-old guy named Syd from 38 years ago must be a monumental PITA.

BTW, I'm glad he *appears* to be fairly healthy in the pic. I'd read he had some fairly serious diabetic problems a while back...

 

Ive got a bike you can ride it if you like
Its got a basket a bell that rings and things to make it look good
Id give it to you if I could but I borrowed it..................................


sorry couldnt resist after seeing the pic..hehe

 

Syd's Sister in Denial

Syd's sister has been in denial about his schizophrenia for years. She hasn't allowed him to even try newer anti-psychotic meds, like Zyprexa or Abilify, which could potentially restore his former life, at least somewhat.

Roger Waters said that Syd has schizophrenia during his interview bits for the Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story DVD.

I work with the mentally ill. People who have schizophrenia can live "normal" lives, both with or without meds. However, Syd's reclusivity and lack of emotion are trademark symptoms of the disease. Some people find these symptoms helped with meds, but the sad fact is, schizophrenia is permanent and not curable.

People who say Syd is "together" are in denial, just like his sister...


Robyn Hitchcock performed at Duncan Hall in Lafayette, Indiana on April 3rd. Some nitwit in the crowd yelled out "Syd Barrett rules!". Hitchcock, who must be tired of the Syd comparisons by now, replied "Syd's in no shape to rule anything at this point..."

 

Why can't people just leave Syd alone?

 

I'm curious, what's your source of information for that? Has his sister commented publicly on her opinions about his condition, or about what medications he is on? How do we know what medications he might be on, or what he has tried? At any rate, unless he is mentally incompetent, it is not her role to "allow" him to try medications anyway. It is his choice.

"Together" is a relative term. Given the limited information we have, no one can say definitively whether he is "together" or not. We know he lives independently. We know he is reclusive. We know he does not express interest in his past life as a musician. We can make guesses based on those few facts. Beyond that we don't really know much, unless you have some source of information I'm not aware of.

We don't even know for a fact he is schizophrenic. Roger Waters is not a psychiatrist or mental health professional. Stuff I've read certainly suggests he is, but you or I don't have nearly enough information to make a diagnosis.

The fact that he lives independently, is able to maintain his ADLs, and can communicate in a reality based way to at least some degree makes him higher functioning than a large percentage of schizophrenics I encounter in my work. I would guess if he is schizophrenic he must be on some medication.

 

Well, "together" isn't the same thing as "more together than people realize", which is what the statement was. Either way, it's conjecture since none of us has all the facts needed to ascertain anything.

I'm not in denial about anything, though. That I *can* ascertain.

 

How can you possibly know what kind of medication Syd takes or doesn't take I said I thought "he was more together than people realize" which is not quite the same as stating that he is together. Many people are under the impression that he is a vegetable or zombie and I simply pointed out that this is not true. Syd has lived alone for years and takes care of himself. Of course, he experienced some sort of mental breakdown in the late 60's that he hasn't completely recovered from. I don't think anyone outside of his family knows if it's schizophrenia or not. I'm inclined to think he suffers from some sort of personality disorder rather than schizophrenia but I really have no idea. I have seen some tabloid shot footage of Syd walking down the street a few years ago and he appears fine. He shoots the cameraman a look like "why on earth are you filming me".

BTW, by his own admission Waters hasn't seen Syd since around the time of the WYWH sessions not has he spoken to his sister. He has said Syd is schizophrenic but I really think that's speculation on his part..

The link below contains an interview with Syd's nephew that sheds a little light on his well being

http://www.pink-floyd.org/barrett/ianintw.htm

 

I'm not saying Syd Barrett is schizophrenic, I don't know what the exact diagnosis of his mental condition is, but one thing I have learned about schizophrenia from knowing people who have suffered from it is that it usually appears in adolescence or early adulthood, and sometimes lessens in middle age. This is a possibility in Barrett's earlier bizarre behavior and his more stable life now.

 

Your right. His breakdown started when he was 21 which is in the age range where onset is most common. Whatever happen to him is really sad. By all accounts he was a very well adjusted, outgoing, friendly guy until mid 1967 or so when everything started going wrong. Below is a quote from former EMI tape operator Jeff Jarrett taken from a recent interview. Jarrett worked on all of the Piper sessions with engineer Peter Bown and producer Norman Smith.

To this day I still tell people how, for me, Syd Barrett was one of the greatest musicians and personalities I've had the pleasure of working with, and that I was devastated when he did what he did and overdosed and whatever it was, totally, totally devastated. He was such a fantastic person, so, so creative and a great person as well as being a creative genius. I felt very close to him in that short time I had the privilege of working with him - Jeff Jarrett

 

Proof that *anything* can be argued.

I admit to allowing myself to fantasize about Syd, er, Roger returning to music. It would be so very interesting to hear what he would come up with after all these years. The BW story is one of triumph, I'd love to be able to say the same for Syd.

 

he is just a guy who took too many drugs and lost the plot !


Get over it guys! I think he has !

 

amen, alexandria, someone who understands mental illness and its effect on those who suffer.

-eddie

 

We could have Bill Frist take a look at that photo.

 

Stupid press.....the guy's been out of the band for over 35 years.....what are you even bothering him for???? Leave him alone!

 

It should say something that Mr. Barrett is still around after all these years, crazy diamond or just quiet recluse. What really caused him to go off the deep end is anyone's guess, since it's easy to claim sudden fame, drugs, undiagnosed mental illness, etc.....but maybe even he doesn't really know. Even so, he does seem to be living on his own well enough. You gotta wonder why people feel the need to hang at his doorstep. He left the music scene long ago, for reasons left unexplained, after a few solo efforts.

Had he made some big bucks that were well managed, of course he would be on a palacial estate somewhere in the woods where he could be relatively assured of being left alone.

 

>...Some fans met him in the late 90's (the have the photos to prove it) and said he seemed "totally on the ball."

Is there a website where this is documented, I'd be very interested in checking this out.

 

Let's all send photos to Frist asking him to diagnose our problems.

 

He's almost a dead ringer for Peter Gabriel.