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Syd Barrett, called a "guiding light" in the early days of psychedelic rockers Pink Floyd, has died at age 60, a spokeswoman for the band announced Tuesday.

The troubled British singer and songwriter, who had spent many years living in seclusion, died several days ago, according to the woman, who declined to give her name.

No cause of death has been made public.

Barrett's former bandmates said in a statement later Tuesday they were "very upset and sad" when they learned of his death.

"Syd was the guiding light of the early band lineup and leaves a legacy which continues to inspire," Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Richard Wright and David Gilmour said.

Brilliant beginnings

Born in Cambridge in 1946, Roger (Syd) Barrett co-founded Pink Floyd with Waters, Mason and Wright in 1965. He wrote much of the band's acclaimed first album, 1967's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, serving as singer and lead guitarist.

Many believe Barrett's heavy drug use aggravated his increasing mental instability, ultimately leading to his departure from the band.

The band enlisted Gilmour to fill in for Barrett, whose behaviour had grown increasingly erratic and bizarre both onstage and off.

Pink Floyd announced in 1968 that Barrett was no longer a member of the group, though he did appear on several tracks on the second album, A Saucerful of Secrets. At the time, many believed the band would not survive without Barrett's creative influence.

Barrett attempted to launch a solo career, releasing the albums The Madcap Laughs and Barrett in 1970 and occasionally playing with other musicians, but he never found the success he had with Pink Floyd.

Bandmates remained loyal

Though Pink Floyd defied the critics and continued to greater heights, Barrett's bandmates never forgot about their friend and his contributions to the group.

They helped produce some of his later work and sometimes served as backing musicians for his rare performances. The band also ensured that he received the credit for and royalties payments from the early work he had penned.

Pink Floyd followed its blockbuster 1973 breakthrough album Dark Side of the Moon with the concept album Wish You Were Here, which was about and dedicated to Barrett. One of its highlights was the track Shine On You Crazy Diamond.

Barrett became a recluse and returned home to live at his family home in the suburbs of Cambridge in England.

Over the years, however, Barrett's music began to attract a cult audience and influenced a new generation of musicians.

In the late 1980s, a compilation of his unreleased material and outtakes was published under the title Opel. All three solo albums were collected in the 1993 box set Crazy Diamond and a greatest hits album titled The Best of Syd Barrett: Wouldn't You Miss Me? was released in 2001.

A private funeral service is being arranged, the spokeswoman said.