Godfather Of Psych Rock
“Roky Erickson, one of the most enduring and adventurous exponents of American psychedelic rock, has died at the age of 71,” the Guardian reports.
“Erickson was the frontman of the 13th Floor Elevators, a psych-rock band from Austin, Texas, where he grew up. Their rollicking debut single, ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me,’ included on the Nuggets compilation that defines 1960s garage rock, remains one of the most celebrated songs from that scene – R.E.M.’s Peter Buck once described it as ‘Louie Louie, sideways.’ It reached No. 55 in the U.S. charts and prompted a TV appearance on American Bandstand; Janis Joplin at one point considered joining the band.”
Roky made these pages a few times over the years, and was celebrated by local rock critics Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot. Let’s take a look.
Posted on June 3, 2019