Deaths Elsewhere: Pink Floyd cofounder Syd Barrett dies at 60 http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060712/NEWS07/607120317/10 09
July 12, 2006 Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett LONDON -- Roger Keith (Syd) Barrett, a founding member of the British rock band Pink Floyd, died of symptoms related to diabetes, the band said Tuesday. Barrett, 60, died July 7 at his home in Cambridgeshire, England. "Syd was the guiding light of the early band lineup and leaves a legacy which continues to inspire," the surviving members of Pink Floyd -- David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright -- said. Barrett cofounded Pink Floyd in 1965 with Waters, Mason and Wright, and wrote many of its early songs. The 1967 album "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" -- largely written by Barrett, who also played guitar -- was a hit. He left the group in 1968, prompted by a well-publicized breakdown triggered by his apparent use of LSD. His departure came just before the band achieved worldwide success, and five years before the release of Pink Floyd's most popular album, "Dark Side of the Moon." He later released two solo albums "The Madcap Laughs" and "Barrett" and retreated to his late mother's home where he lived as a recluse until his death, indulging his passion for painting and gardening. He was a familiar figure to neighbors, often seen cycling or walking to the corner store, but rarely spoke to fans and journalists who sought him out. Barrett is believed to have named the band after blues musicians Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. His record collection was found to include music by the two blues artists. Milan B. Williams: An original member of the Commodores, Williams, 58, died Sunday in Houston of cancer. The Commodores formed in 1968 while the members were students at the former Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. The group, whose best known member was singer Lionel Richie, had hits during the 1970s and 1980s, including "Brick House," "Easy" and "Three Times A Lady." Williams, who played keyboards, wrote the band's first hit, "Machine Gun." Jack Smith: Singer and recording artist who hosted the TV show "You Asked for It," died July 3 in Westlake Village, Calif., of leukemia. He was 92. He hosted the show in 1958, its final season on ABC, and returned in a syndicated version in 1971. The show invited viewers to send in suggestions for unusual things they wanted to see, like people with uncommon talent or seeing the vault at Ft. Knox. Catherine Leroy: The photojournalist, whose stark images of battle helped tell the story of the Vietnam War in Life magazine and other publications, died Saturday in Santa Monica, Calif., of cancer. She was 60. Elias Hrawi: The former Lebanese president, who rebuilt Lebanon after a 15-year civil war but also helped Syria take over his country, died Friday in Beirut after a long illness. He was 81. Parliament elected him for a six-year term in late 1989. Frank Zeidler: The former Milwaukee mayor, the last Socialist Party member to run a major U.S. city, died there Friday of congestive heart failure and diverticulitis. He was 93. Gregory S. Williams [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply with a "Thank you" if you liked this post. _____________________________ MEDIANEWS mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
