Syd was no acid casualty or recluse

Violet-Abyss · Post by **Violet-Abyss** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 5:36 pm

An interesting article on Roger Barrett with an interview with his sister, Rosemary.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 41,00.html

SydsMadcapGirl · Post by **SydsMadcapGirl** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 6:34 pm

I just read that article. It was perhaps one of the best articles about Mr. Barrett that I've EVER read.

I'm very glad that Rosemary spoke out. What she said confirmed a lot of what I've always thought and told people (though it was generally the unpopular opinion)...that perhaps the "plea of insanity" was likely a "way out"...he was just an ordinary person wishing to live an ordinary existence. Just because someone may have had some sort of psychosis in 1969, 1972, or 1975 this is not an automatic indicator that it is continued throughout one's entire life span.

I think the fans have always needed something to grasp...some sort of closure...and labelling Mr. Barrett's abrupt exit from the world of music and the public eye in general as an "ascent into madness" and so on sort of romanticized his story, gave people a reason we could understand. Also as a human race in general, I think we feel more comfortable with labels than we do with what could be the simplest of explanations, such as this particular instance. Perhaps he just didn't want to be a rock star anymore and didn't feel the need to justify it to anyone or to let the demanding public know of all of his thoughts and actions. He just wanted to tend to his garden and live a simple existence that I would consider enviable.

One of the things I've alwways loved most about Mr. Barrett is his purity, his childlike way of seeing the world. I love that in his music, and I love that in what I know of him as displayed by how he lived his life.

Selfishly, I just wish I could've hugged him.

Post by **Keith Jordan** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 6:47 pm

It is simply the greatest article ever! Inspired me...

http://www.neptunepinkfloyd.co.uk/news/?y=06&id=0716

MadJedi · Post by **MadJedi** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 6:50 pm

i hope that his unpublished book wont remain unpublished for too long...
thanks for the story twas very good!

Post by **Keith Jordan** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 7:04 pm

It may be interesting to see what he came up with. If he dedicated so much of his life to art, researching it and writing about it, then perhaps Roseary should have the book published.

I wonder in what for it exists? I wonder if he had it professionally printed or whether it is just on a computer or handwritten!!

PublicImage · Post by **PublicImage** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 7:07 pm

I wonder if Syd actually wanted it to be published...It would be great to read - the first creative output from Syd in over 30 years..

MadJedi · Post by **MadJedi** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 7:23 pm

PublicImage wrote:I wonder if Syd actually wanted it to be published...It would be great to read - the first creative output from Syd in over 30 years..

judging from the article here it would seem to me with him destroying his art when he was done, that he might have wanted this book to be published, if not why would he have kept it instead of destroying it also?
also she states diabeties wasnt really a big issue, but all reports ive read/heard say it was what ultimately caused his death...

PublicImage · Post by **PublicImage** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 7:27 pm

The first report in the Guardian said that he died of cancer, which I found quite odd after seeing every other report saying it was diabetes.

I don't think he would have wanted it published in his lifetime, since he didn't seem to want any media attention. I don't suspect he would mind if it was posthumously published..

cwta eugene · Post by **cwta eugene** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 7:42 pm

This was a great article to read, but I wonder how much of it can be taken as truth. The author of the article himself stated that Syd came to the door in his underwear. Hardly the actions of a man obsessed with presenting himself niclely. Also, look at the stalker video and other pictures. He hardly looked presentable with a wife-beater tank top and long socks which look like they lost their elasticity. Also, I read an interview with Ian Barrett, Syd's nephew, who admits to never really being able to get close to Syd. That doesn't sound like a guy who loved to be around children. She makes it sound like Syd went out alot, yet there are only a handful of newspaper articles with pictures of him over the last 15 years. I desperately want to believe her becasue it makes Syd sound so sweet,

but I don't.

Post by **Keith Jordan** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 7:49 pm

Do you think it could be a conspiracy to keep people away from his grave? "fans" destroyed Jim Morrison's grave. Will they do the same to RKBs?

Post by **mosespa** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 7:53 pm

jedi with crazy diamonds wrote: judging from the article here it would seem to me with him destroying his art when he was done, that he might have wanted this book to be published, if not why would he have kept it instead of destroying it also?

Maybe he hadn't finished the photographic record of it. There might be several film cannisters somewhere with pictures of the pages on them.

MadJedi · Post by **MadJedi** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 8:08 pm

Keith Jordan wrote:Do you think it could be a conspiracy to keep people away from his grave? "fans" destroyed Jim Morrison's grave. Will they do the same to RKBs?

hmmm is syd really dead?

maybe syd, mr mojo, and elvis are all jamming right now in some CIA office party

my breakfast. · Post by **my breakfast.** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 9:19 pm

Keith Jordan wrote:Do you think it could be a conspiracy to keep people away from his grave? "fans" destroyed Jim Morrison's grave. Will they do the same to RKBs?

"Fans" tried to dig up Jim's grave to check the dental records! Thats not very respectful! I also gather there is a lot of grafitti on it?

As for RKP, sadly he is indeed dead, we don't need to check that, but I can see the grave getting grafitti'd with lyrics etc...

crofloyd · Post by **crofloyd** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 9:40 pm

well, the article is a good read, but I'm very suspicious about some things stated by his sister...
anyway, what was his income, did he have a pension, were royalities from PF enough for his DIY and basics?
but I feel happy that he managed to live happily for the past years, gardening, painting and stuff

moonwall · Post by **moonwall** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 10:04 pm

Why questioning the article?
Does it matter what income he had? It's common knowledge that the other Floyds had an agreement about Syd's royalties.
Syd's sister suspects that Syd had some form of autism or asperger syndrome, and if he had that explains a lot, at least to me.