Roky Erickson and the Aliens
| Roky Erickson | |
|---|---|
Erickson performing at Austin Music Awards (2008)
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Roger Kynard Erickson |
| Born | July 15, 1947 |
| Origin | Austin, Texas, US |
| Genres | Rock, psychedelic rock, garage rock, acid rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals, harmonica, piano |
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Labels | Columbia, CBS, Restless, Pink Dust, Five Hours Back, Fan Club, Sympathy for the Record Industry, Triple X, Emperor Jones, Norton, New Rose, Swordfish |
| Associated acts | The 13th Floor Elevators, Roky Erickson & the Aliens, The Explosives, Okkervil River, The Black Angels, The Spades |
| Website | rokyerickson |
Roger Kynard "Roky" Erickson (born 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 a pioneer of the psychedelic rock genre.
Erickson 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. His first notable group was The Spades, who scored a regional hit with Erickson's "We Sell Soul"; the song is included as an unlisted bonus track on Erickson's 1995 All That May Do My Rhyme CD and was adapted as "Don't Fall Down" by the 13th Floor Elevators for their first album. The Spades' original version of "You're Gonna Miss Me", later a hit for 13th Floor Elevators, was featured on the compilation album The Best of Pebbles Volume 1.
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 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. The album 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."
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