Famous Celebrity Recluses: Johnny Carson, Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett, Author Harper Lee and More

Billionaire Howard Hughes, author J.D. Salinger, and singer Michael Jackson are probably the most famous of all recluses. There have been many over the years. Some quit the spotlight because they simply couldn't endure the pressures of fame and the constant media scrutiny. Others suffered from debilitating mental illnesses like agoraphobia. And then there were still others who have been thought to be recluses, but go about their normal daily lives while refusing any further contact with the media.

Johnny Carson was of the latter variety. In one of his few interviews since his 1992 retirement, the former late night television host said, "I'm not gregarious. I'm a loner. I've always been that way."

In fact, he remained active after his retirement, playing tennis, sailing, and even going on safari trips. He even had two humor pieces published in The New Yorker. In 2005, Johnny Carson died at age 79 of a respiratory ailment.

Syd Barrett

On July 11, 2006, former Pink Floyd lead singer and creative genius Syd Barrett died, surprising most fans who thought he'd died years earlier.

Barrett left the group in 1968 at the very point where they were about to achieve worldwide fame. He retreated to the basement of his mother's house in Cambridge, where he recorded two solo albums, boarding up all basement windows to keep out fans and the media. It was said that his retreat was due to excessive use of LSD.

He stayed in his mother's house until his death. In his later years, he painted pictures and gardened.

Band member David Gilmour commented, "I'll say the psychedelic experience might well have acted as the catalyst. Still, I just don't think he could deal with the vision of success and all the things that went with it."

The Pink Floyd song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" was said to be a tribute to Syd Barrett.

Steve Ditko