Celebrating Syd Barrett: Guitarist, Co-Founder of Pink Floyd, and Lifelong Gardener

January 6, 1946 

On this day, the guitarist, singer, songwriter, and co-founder of Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett, was born.

After his immense success with Pink Floyd, Syd released two solo LPs and disappeared from public life.

Instead, he mainly kept to himself during a self-imposed 30-year exile and spent most of his time painting and gardening.

Before his life with Pink Floyd, Syd attended the Camberwell Art School.

One of the pieces he created was a beautiful watercolor - a delicate-looking still life of a dried flower bouquet.

In 2006, Syd died of cancer at the age of 60.

Before he died, Syd was a patient at Addenbrooke Hospital in Cambridge.

In 2017, his friend, the sculptor Stephen Pyle, and a garden designer named Paul Harrington planned to install the Syd Barrett Garden at Addenbrooke.

Stephen’s sculpture for the garden depicts Syd riding his bicycle - hands-free - with a guitar in one hand and artist brushes in the other.