Pink Floyd co-founder dies in 60

LONDON - Surviving members of Pink Floyd said that they are sad and upset to hear that co-founder Syd Barrett is dead. A band spokeswoman said he died several days ago, but didn't give a cause of death.

Barrett was 60, and for years had diabetes. In recent years he had moved in with his mother in Cambridge, where he passed the time painting, tending the garden and receiving royalties from his work with Pink Floyd In a statement, the four surviving band members described Barrett as the "guiding light" of the band in its formative years. They said his legacy "continues to inspire" them.

Barrett co-founded Pink Floyd in 1965, but left three years later because of mental instability exacerbated by LSD use. David Bowie called him a "major inspiration" to his career. On his Web site, Bowie credits Barrett for making an "enormous" impact on his thinking. Barrett was the creative visionary and "most important" member of Pink Floyd when it was formed, and his contributions can't underestimated, according to music journalist Oliver Bennett.