The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Pink Floyd

After leaving Pink Floyd in 1968, Syd Barrett didn't disappear right away. In 1970, he released two solo albums — his only two solo albums – The Madcap Laughs and Barrett, consisting of material written during an earlier, more productive time. He played one solo show, which ended after just five songs. In 1971, Barrett told Rolling Stone, "I'm disappearing, avoiding most things," and, "Mostly I just waste my time." It was around that time that he sold off the rights to his music and retreated to the basement of his mother's home in Cambridge, England, where he lived for the rest of his life.

While Barrett appeared somewhat unhealthy and troubled to other members of Pink Floyd during his drop-in on a Wish You Were Here mixing session in 1975, he quietly soldiered on, privately, for more than 30 years, taking up gardening and painting, although never holding an exhibition or event. Amid reports that his health had improved in the early 2000s, Barrett passed away in Cambridge in July 2006 at the age of 60. While initial reports suggested complications from diabetes as the cause of death, the musician actually passed away from the effects of pancreatic cancer.