Pink Floyd remains as one of the most legendary bands of all time because of their cultural impact during their prime years and little did the public know that former member Syd Barrett suffered from a mental health problem as revealed in a previous interview.
According to the late musician's official website, the singer grew up as a talented kid as he would often impersonate people such as the popular comedian Sid James. He was in elementary school with Roger Waters and later met David Gilmour when he was a teenager.
By 1965, they were taking over the local music scene of London as many people would attend their gigs due to their experimental sound and unique way of presenting themselves in the public.
They struck a deal with EMI records in 1967 and released two songs "See Emily Play" and "Arnold Layne."
However, at the time of their massive success which included television appearances and concerts, Syd Barrett was suffering from a mental health problem. (via Grunge)
As explained by Roger Waters in a previous interview, the singer got "very weird quickly" at the height of their fame as he started consuming LSD.
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Syd Barrett Suffered From a Mental Health Problem
During the early years of his career, Barrett was said to have suffered from stage fright. His bandmate, Waters, recalled him being scared before they appeared on "Top of the Pops."
The bassist told the singer to "buckle up" and get on with their performance, but he didn't do any of that.
"He wrote a few more songs, but nothing of any real note. And he just got more and more and more detached until he was completely wacky and not making any sense," he told Joe Rogan in his podcast.
Since then, Barrett had a hard time writing songs and his family got involved to help him seek psychological help.
The musician reportedly suffered from a condition called "nervous exhaustion," which eventually led the band to miss their performance at the National Jazz and Blues Festival.
They were also forced to end their scheduled tour in the United States after Barrett de-tuned his guitar at a show in San Francisco.
By 1968, the singer was ousted from the band amid his excessive use of psychedelic drugs. He passed away in 2006 after suffering from pancreatic cancer.
