| Died = | Origin = Austin, Texas, U.S. | Instrument = | Genre = Rock, psychedelic rock, garage rock | Occupation = Musician Singer-songwriter | Years_active = 1964–present | Label = CBS Records Restless Records Pink Dust Records Five Hours Back Fan Club Sympathy for the Record Industry Triple X Records Emperor Jones Norton Records New Rose Records | Associated_acts = 13th Floor Elevators | URL = Official website | Notable_instruments = }} Roky Erickson (born Roger Kynard Erickson on July 15, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, harmonica player and guitarist from Texas. He was a founding member of the 13th Floor Elevators and pioneer of the psychedelic rock genre.[1] ContentsBiography Early life and career 13th Floor Elevators years Mental illness and legal problems Discography See also References External links Biography Early life and careerErickson was interested in music from his youth: he played piano from age 5 and took up guitar at 10. He attended school in Austin and dropped out of Travis High School in 1965, one month before graduating, rather than cut his hair to conform to the school dress code.[2] His first notable group was The Spades, who scored a regional hit with Erickson's song "We Sell Soul"; this song is included on the compilation album Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 17 (although the songwriter is identified as Emil Schwartze on the track listing on this album). Also the song "You're Gonna Miss Me", later a hit for 13th Floor Elevators, was featured on the compilation album The Best Of Pebbles Volume 1. 13th Floor Elevators years Erickson co-founded the 13th Floor Elevators in late 1965. He and bandmate Tommy Hall were the main songwriters. Early in her career, singer Janis Joplin considered joining the Elevators, but Family Dog's Chet Helms persuaded her to go to San Francisco, California instead, where she found major fame. In 1966 (Erickson was 19 years old) the band released their debut album The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators. Psychedelic Sounds had the band's only charting single, Erickson's "You're Gonna Miss Me." A stinging breakup song, the single remains probably Erickson's best-known work: it was a major hit on local charts in the U.S. southwest, and appeared at lower position on national singles charts as well. Critic Mark Deming writes that "If Roky Erickson had vanished from the face of the earth after The 13th Floor Elevators released their epochal debut single, 'You're Gonna Miss Me,' in early 1966, in all likelihood he'd still be regarded as a legend among garage rock fanatics for his primal vocal wailing and feral harmonica work."[3] In 1967, the band followed up with Easter Everywhere, perhaps the band's most focused effort, featuring the epic track "Slip Inside This House", and a noted cover of Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue." The album Live was put out in 1968 by International Artists. It featured audience applause dubbed over studio recordings of cover versions and older material, and it had little to no input from the band. Bull of the Woods, released in 1969, was the 13th Floor Elevators' last released album on which they worked as a group and was largely the work of Stacy Sutherland. Erickson, due to health and legal problems, and Tommy Hall were only involved with a few tracks, including "Livin' On" and "May the Circle Remain Unbroken". Mental illness and legal problemsIn 1968, while doing a stint at HemisFair, Erickson started speaking nonsense. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and sent to a Houston psychiatric hospital, where he involuntarily received electroconvulsive therapy.[4] According to an interview on Sound Opinions on Chicago Public Radio with You're Gonna Miss Me director Kevin McAlester (7/24/07), Erickson is currently working on a new album with Billy Gibbons, singer and guitarist of ZZ Top, and a longtime admirer of Erickson; Gibbons' earlier band The Moving Sidewalks had a hit with "99th floor", which was a tribute of sorts to the Elevators. On 8 September 2008, Scottish post-rock band Mogwai released the Batcat EP. Erickson is featured on one of the tracks, "Devil Rides".[5] Erickson performed alongside indie rock band Okkervil River at the Austin Music Awards in 2008 and then again at the 2009 South by Southwest music festival.[6] British Rock Band Kasabian, acknowledged Erickson's work on the centrefold CD booklet of their 2009 album West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum with a case of dead moth and butterfly samples and a plaque reading "Bequeathed to the West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum by Mr. R. Erickson". The centrefold also serves as the band's backdrop at live shows. On April 20, 2010, Erickson will release True Love Cast Out All Evil, his first album of new material in 14 years. Austin-based Okkervil River serves as Erickson's backing band on the album.[7] Discography I Think of Demons (1980, CBS Records) The Evil One (1981, 415 Records) The Return of the Living Dead (soundtrack) (1985, Enigma Records) Don't Slander Me (1986, Pink Dust Records) Gremlins Have Pictures (1986, Pink Dust Records) Casting the Runes (1987, Five Hours Back) Holiday Inn Tapes (1987, Fan Club) Live at the Ritz 1987 (1988, Fan Club) Openers (1988, Five Hours Back) Beauty and the Beast (1993, Sympathy for the Record Industry) All That May Do My Rhyme (1995, Trance Syndicate) Demon Angel: A Day and a Night with Roky Erickson (1995, Triple X Records) Roky Erickson and Evilhook Wildlife (1995, Sympathy for the Record Industry) Never Say Goodbye (1999, Emperor Jones) Don't Knock the Rok! (2004, Norton Records) I Have Always Been Here Before (2005, Shout! Factory) Live at the Ritz (200?, New Rose Records) See also 13th Floor Elevators Music of Austin Outsider music References Eye Mind: The Saga of Roky Erickson and The 13th Floor Elevators, The Pioneers of Psychedelic Sound by Paul Drummond, Foreword by Julian Cope (Process Media, December 2007) External links Roky Erickson official Web site Roky Erickson official MySpace page Roky Erickson and The Explosives official MySpace page Texas Psychedelic Blog: Posts, Images, Articles, Interviews, more... Texas Psych Google Group: Online Community & Discussion Group Texas Psychedelic Ranch: 13th Floor Elevators, Roky Erickson, Golden Dawn, Bubble Puppy, more... Roky CD Club Discography Austin Chronicle article (12/05) Roky Erickson FAQ Roky Erickson / 13th Floor Elevators Extensive Discography Thirteenth Floor Elevators Discography Roky Erickson on AllMusic.com Texas Psychedelic Ranch: 13th Floor Elevators, Roky Erickson, Golden Dawn, more... Review of ''You're Gonna Miss Me'' soundtrack November 2008 Interview with L.A. Record es:Roky Erickson fr:Roky Erickson it:Roky Erickson no:Roky Erickson fi:Roky Erickson sv:Roky Erickson

Source: Wikipedia.org