You crazy diamond: Syd Barrett's will revealed

May 17, 2007, 11:40 GMT

Syd Barrett, the late co-founding member of Pink Floyd, left almost £1.7 million in his will.

The reclusive musician - who died aged 60 from health complications caused by his diabetes at his Cambridgeshire home last July - split the sizeable sum between his two brothers and two sisters, according to legal documents released yesterday (16.05.07).

Barrett - who quit the legendary British group in 1968 before they went on to achieve their greatest success - left £425,000 to his brother Alan, while his three other siblings Donald, Rosemary Breen and Ruth Brown received £275,000 each.

However, Rosemary will also receive the money raised from the sale of her pop legend brother's house. The property fetched £310,000.

In the latter years of his life, Barrett - whose extensive LSD use in the 60s left him with mental health problems - was cared for by Rosemary.

The documents also revealed that Alan had to authorise the will under the British Mental Health because of his brother's failing mental state in the final years of his life.

Barrett founded Pink Floyd with Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Rick Wright in 1965.

The musician - who was born Roger Keith Barrett, but was given the nickname Syd as a teenager - was the band's guitarist and wrote many of their early psychedelic songs, including the hit singles 'Arnold Layne' and 'See Emily Play'.

Their ground-breaking debut album 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn' was released in 1967.

After he quit the group he was replaced by David Gilmour and five years later Pink Floyd released their most famous and successful album 'Dark Side of the Moon'.

Barrett released two solo albums, 'The Madcap Laughs' and 'Barrett', but then shied away from the music industry, becoming a recluse.

(C) BANG Media International