Roger Keith “Syd” Barrett (January 6, 1946 – July 7, 2006)

Syd Barrett, the troubled founding member of Pink Floyd, has died aged 60, after living the life of a recluse for the last 30 years.

A source close to the band, who did not want to be named, said Barrett died on Friday. Media reports say complications from diabetes were the cause.

Barrett’s bizarre on-stage antics in the late 1960s were linked to his experimentation with psychedelic drugs, and he left the band in 1968.

The singer, songwriter and guitarist, who wrote the bulk of Pink Floyd’s earliest music, has been credited with helping shape its progressive sound and influencing artists including David Bowie.

He wrote most of the songs on Pink Floyd’s first album “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn”, which was a hit in Britain, and also worked on “A Saucerful of Secrets”, released in 1968.

Barrett issued his first solo album, “The Madcap Laughs”, in 1970, with backing from members of Pink Floyd and Soft Machine, but his involvement in music had ended by the mid-1970s and he has lived the life of a recluse ever since.