Pink Floyd was founded back in 1964 by Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and Bob Klose. They stepped off the music scene in 2014, after a successful music career that spanned 50 years.
The band was influenced by hard rock, blues, country, folk, and electronic music. They knew the blues influence on rock and roll like any other rock band in those days. In fact, the band’s name ‘Pink Floyd’ was inspired by two blues musicians, Pink Anderson, and Floyd Council.
Pink Floyd was called ‘Tea Set’ before, but Syd Barrett decided to change their name in 1965 after meeting another band during one of their gigs. Barrett knew Anderson and Council because he had their blues records in his collection.
The Life Story Of Pink Anderson
Pinkney ‘Pink’ Anderson was a blues singer and guitarist born in Laurens, South Carolina, in 1900. He joined Dr. William R. Kerr in 1914 to entertain crowds while the doctor was trying to sell a mixture he claimed had medicinal qualities. Anderson also worked with the blues singer Blind Simmie Dooley and recorded with him in 1928. The musician toured with Leo ‘Chief Thundercloud’ Kahdot and the harmonica player Arthur ‘Peg Leg Sam’ Jackson in the 1950s.
The folklorist Paul Clayton recorded Anderson’s music at the Virginia State Fair in May 1950. He then recorded an album in the early 1960s, performed some live shows, and appeared in the film ‘The Bluesmen.’ Anderson had to reduce his musical activities after a heart stroke in the late 1960s. Some folklorists tried to record him in the 1970s, but they failed. Anderson went on his final tour with his student Roy Book Binder in the early 1970s and died in October 1974 of a heart attack.
The Life And Career Of Floyd Council
Floyd Council was also a blues singer and guitarist who was a practitioner of the Piedmont Blues. Also known as ‘The Devil’s Daddy-In-Law,’ Council was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 1911. He embarked on his musical career on the streets of Chapel Hill. He was performing there with his two brothers. Council performed with Blind Boy Fuller in the Chapel Hill area in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and they recorded twice in the mid-1930s.
Council suffered a heart stroke in the late 1960s. This partially paralyzed his throat muscles and slowed his motor skills. The folklorist Peter B. Lowry’s attempts to record him in 1970 were futile. Council then died of a heart attack just like Pink Anderson back in 1976.
Syd Barrett Named The Band After Anderson And Council
Pink Floyd’s former frontman Syd Barrett was inspired by the names of Pink Anderson and Floyd Council when naming Pink Floyd. Both Anderson and Council were successful blues musicians, but today, their music remains in the dusty pages of history.
It appears the only thing common between the two is that they worked with Blind Boy Fuller. In fact, this was the reason Syd Barrett knew them because he saw their names in the liner notes of Fuller’s 1962 album. He then decided it made sense to bring together their names, and the duo now lives in the name Pink Floyd.
