![\"Richard](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Richard-Wright-Rick-Wright-Pink-Floyd-1967-Far-Out-Magazine-F-1140x855.jpg\")
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(Credits: Far Out \/ Alamy)<\/p>\n
Tue 6 January 2026 6:00, UK <\/p>\n
Pink Floyd<\/a> were never strangers to tragedy. In fact, the band\u2019s entire career seemed utterly dogged from it, sometimes in a silly, stupid way like when they accidentally massacred a bunch of fish simply by rocking too hard. But then, in harrowing moments, it hit hard and serious and devastating. <\/p>\n The first and most obvious takes the shape of Syd Barrett \u2013 the enigmatic leader that started it all but wouldn\u2019t see the end of it. Initially, the band was utterly based around Barrett\u2019s mind; his lyrics, his songs, the ideas that were currently fascinating him. He was a kind of psychedelic messiah for a moment, almost akin to a Jim Morrison for the Brits in looks and artistic path \u2013 but also in complete and dangerous hedonism.<\/p>\n After Barrett spiralled deeper and deeper into drug use, it wasn\u2019t that he overdosed as so many rock stars have. Instead, it was almost something worse as he seemed to just lose his mind. First, he became so unreliable\u00a0that the band had to cut him loose, but then he became utterly unrecognisable, leading to the famed day when he wandered back into the studio years later, and it took all of his old friends a minute to know who he was. That led to the making of \u2018Shine On You Crazy Diamond\u2019 \u2013 one of many tribute tracks the band have written for lost friends.<\/p>\n But the last one is equally as sad, though in a completely different way. The devastation in Barrett was partly the tragedy of hope and potential squandered so young<\/a>. The devastation they felt over the death of Richard Wright was more simple but no less painful as the all had to reckon with losing a friend after a long career together.<\/p>\n