Rock & Roll Enigma Dies

Syd Barrett, the founder of "Pink Floyd" one of my all-time favorite rock bands, died today. First Johnny Carson and now the founder of Pink Floyd. When your icons of 30 years start dying then you know that your years are numbered as well. I was supposed to be a millinaire by now. I never even thought about getting as old as I am now. I'll never forget what I was doing when I first heard one of the coolest albums ever called "The Wall" by Pink Floyd. I was riding around on Old Columbia road with my cousin Sissy in her tan-colored Vega in 197? when she threw in that new double-album 8-track tape. The whole album from beginning to end was a trip. I have been listening to Pink Floyd for so many years it's embarrasing. I purchased their album "The Dark Side of The Moon" and have listened to it so many times since then that I cannot count. The first time that I heard the song about Syd called "Wish You Were Here" I was at Butch Pruitts house in Berlin, TN. Butch had a killer stereo and could halfway strum a guitar. He had a room on the 2d floor and his parents let him play his music loud which is how Pink Flyd should be played. The lyrics of that song mesh with the music so naturally that to me, it seems that it was not written or created but just always was...like sunlight or snow being cold. Until today I did not know that that song was written about Syd nor why. The reasons for his quick exit from the band are puzzling to me. I don't undertand how he could have had such a unique musical talent, could know which people to put together to form Pink Floyd and yet he could not understand that taking LSD everyday would fry his brain. You can't question fate though. The LSD could have been the reason he created the band. Who knows! One thing is for sure the music that he inspired will span far past the lives of all of us who are reading this today. I was lucky enough to see Roger Waters in one of the only times that I can remember that a top name band came to Korea. It was a great concert. I would love to go see the reunion tour of Pink Floyd if it ever came to be. Unfortunatly it is my understanding that Waters and Gilmore do not get along for whatever reasons and a reunion tour is unlikely. I think it's ironic that Gilmore, who was Syd's replacement, would later be the catylyst for the break up of the band.

In closing I would like to say thank you Syd Barrett. Words cannot express my extreme gratitude for what you helped to create. The enjoyment that I have derived from listening to the music of Pink Floyd is a good thing. I hope that God will take you into Heaven's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame so we can all continue to enjoy your music for eternity.