The forthcoming issue (cover date September 2006) of the UK's highly-respected MOJO Magazine features an all-star tribute to Syd Barrett, founder of Pink Floyd, who sadly passed away on July 7th.

MOJO Magazine, September 2006

Amongst those who remember Syd and celebrate his life within the magazine are The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Elton John, Paul Weller, The Damned, and Wayne Cramer of The MC5.

Elsewhere in the magazine is a look at Roger Waters' current tour, where he and his band perform Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here and Shine On You Crazy Diamond - these latter tracks obviously given a more poignant air with Syd's passing.

The MOJO website also includes a number of tributes that arrived with them after the magazine went to press. Donovan expressed his thanks to Syd, and said that Barrett "pointed the way to a band called Pink Floyd who actually called out to millions of people, to enter that inner world too. And Syd passes and then leaves a wave of emotion, which is just like the wave that George left, and John left, and Kennedy left, a wave of individuals that actually explored a territory within which represents the only saviour of this planet."

John Leckie, who worked on Syd's final session in 1974 with Peter Jenner, at the EMI Abbey Road Studios in London, talked of how those sessions unfolded, with great sadness. The final line of his tribute says it all: "Then he walked out the studio, turned right, and never came back again.”

Finally, producer Joe Boyd noted that despite his departure from the band, "Syd remained with the Floyd as their main musical identity. Even without him their worldwide success can be traced back to Syd’s influence. David Bowie says he was the singer who gave him the confidence to sing in an ‘English’ voice and not even try to sound like an American.”

Our thanks to Lauren Kreisler at EMAP/MOJO for getting in contact with this information. This issue of MOJO will be available very soon in the UK, and in a number of countries as an import, shortly. More details can be found at www.mojo4music.com, where you can find more tributes.