Would you call Syd Barrett the father of psychedelic rock?

Not hardly. As someone else posted, psychedelic music was out there before he was.

I wouldn't say there was a father. Or mother. Everything seemed to explode in terms of psychedelia after the Beatles put out Sgt. Pepper, but I think all those bands in SF had similar ideas around the same time.

I think he best embodied the ideas behind psychedelic rock, and the fact that he basically became a complete looney as time went on only cemented that idea.

nah, psychedelic rock was around shortly before pink floyd put out piper. i don't know if there's really a central figure taking the credit for that era, as far as i know, it just "happened." timothy leary could be your man, or perhaps albert hoffmann for psychedelia in general, but i wouldn't consider either so myself

I would Like to call Arthur Lee that. That's my opinion.

Maybe not the first, but definitely one of the best.