Roky Erickson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roky Erickson
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Erickson performing at Austin Music Awards 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Roger Kynard Erickson |
| Born | July 15, 1947 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | May 31, 2019 (aged 71) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1964–2019 |
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Roger Kynard "Roky" Erickson (born July 15, 1947 – died May 31, 2019) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He helped start and led the band The 13th Floor Elevators. Roky was also a very important person in creating psychedelic rock music.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Roky Erickson was born in Dallas, Texas. His parents were Roger and Evelyn Erickson. He had four younger brothers. His parents gave him the nickname "Roky" by combining parts of his first and middle names.
Roky's father was an architect. He did not like Roky's different style. His mother was an artist and opera singer. She helped Roky with his music. She even took guitar lessons so she could teach him.
Roky loved music from a young age. He started playing piano at age five. He learned guitar when he was 10. He went to school in Austin. In 1965, he left Travis High School just before graduating. He did this because he did not want to cut his hair to fit the school's rules.
When he was 15, Roky wrote his first songs. These were "You're Gonna Miss Me" and "We Sell Soul". He then started a band with friends. This band became known as The Spades. The Spades had a local hit song called "We Sell Soul".
The 13th Floor Elevators Band
In late 1965, when Roky was 18, he helped create the band The 13th Floor Elevators. Roky and his bandmate Tommy Hall wrote most of the band's songs. Famous singer Janis Joplin thought about joining the Elevators early in her career. However, she decided to go to San Francisco instead, where she became very famous.
The band released their first album, The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators, in 1966. This album included their only song that made it onto national music charts, "You're Gonna Miss Me." This song was about a breakup. It became a big hit in the U.S. southwest. Music critics say Roky's powerful singing and harmonica playing made him a legend.
In 1967, the band released Easter Everywhere. This album was very focused. It featured the song "Slip Inside This House". They also covered Bob Dylan's song "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue". Another album, Live, came out in 1968. This album had studio recordings with fake audience sounds added.
Bull of the Woods (1969) was the last album the 13th Floor Elevators made together. Roky was not as involved in this album due to health issues.
Roky's Solo Music and New Bands
In 1974, Roky Erickson started a new band. He called it "Bleib Alien." The name "Bleib" is German for "remain." "Alien" was a play on the German word for "alone." So, the name meant "remain alone." His new band played a harder rock sound. Their songs were often about old horror films and science fiction themes. One of their songs was "Two Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer)."
This new band later changed its name to Roky Erickson and the Aliens. In 1979, Roky recorded 15 new songs. These songs were released on two albums: Roky Erickson and the Aliens (1980) and The Evil One (1981).
The band The Explosives often played as Roky's backup band. They performed regularly in Austin, Texas. They were known as Roky Erickson and the Explosives.
Later Life and Return to Music
In 1984, a documentary film was made about Roky. It was called Demon Angel: A Day and Night with Roky Erickson. It showed Roky performing.
Many live albums of his older songs were released in the mid-1980s. In 1990, a tribute album called Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye was released. This album featured famous bands like R.E.M. and ZZ Top playing Roky's songs. The album's title came from Roky's own words. He said psychedelic music was "where the pyramid meets the eye." This refers to the Eye of Providence symbol.
In 1995, Roky released a new album called All That May Do My Rhyme. This album was produced by people like Speedy Sparks and Stuart Sullivan. Around the same time, a book of all his song lyrics, Openers II, was published.
In 2001, Roky's youngest brother, Sumner Erickson, became his legal guardian. Sumner helped Roky get better medical care. He also helped sort out old music contracts. This meant Roky started getting more money from his music. He also began taking medicine to help with his health.
A documentary film about Roky's life, You're Gonna Miss Me, came out in 2005. In September of that year, Roky played his first full concert in 20 years. He performed at the Austin City Limits Music Festival with The Explosives. Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top was a special guest.
By 2005, Roky was doing much better. He was playing more shows. He even got a driver's license and bought a car.
In 2007, Roky played his first shows in New York City and California. He also performed in England for the first time. He continued to play in Europe, including a popular show in Finland.
In 2008, Roky performed with the band Okkervil River. He also started playing songs from The 13th Floor Elevators again. He performed with The Black Angels as his backup band.
On April 20, 2010, Roky released True Love Cast Out All Evil. This was his first album of new songs in 14 years. Okkervil River played as his backing band on this album.
In 2012, Roky toured New Zealand and Australia for the first time. On May 10, 2015, he performed with the reunited 13th Floor Elevators. The band included original members Roky, Tommy Hall, John Ike Walton, and Ronnie Leatherman. Roky's son, Jegar Erickson, also played harmonica.
Death
Roky Erickson died in Austin, Texas, on May 31, 2019. His brother, Mikel, shared the news on social media. The cause of his death was not announced.
Discography
- Bermuda / The Interpreter (1977)
- Clear Night For Love (1985)
- Don't Slander Me (1986)
- Gremlins Have Pictures (1986)
- Casting the Runes (Roky Erickson & The Explosives, 1987)
- Holiday Inn Tapes (1987)
- Click Your Fingers Applauding The Play (1988)
- Openers (1988)
- Live at the Ritz 1987 (1988)
- Live Dallas 1979 (1992)
- All That May Do My Rhyme (1995)
- Demon Angel: A Day and a Night with Roky Erickson (1995)
- Roky Erickson and Evilhook Wildlife (1995)
- Never Say Goodbye (1999)
- Don't Knock the Rok! (2004)
- I Have Always Been Here Before (2005)
- Halloween (2008)
- True Love Cast Out All Evil (2010)
Roky Erickson and the Aliens
- Roky Erickson and the Aliens (1980)
- The Evil One (1981)
Roky Erickson and the Resurrectionists
- Beauty and the Beast (1993)
Tribute albums
- Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye (1990)
- We're Gonna Miss You: A Tribute to Roky Erickson (2020)
- May the Circle Remain Unbroken: A Tribute to Roky Erickson (2021)
Filmography
- Demon Angel: A Day and Night with Roky Erickson (1984)
- You're Gonna Miss Me (2005)
Legacy and Influence
Roky Erickson's music and unique style influenced many artists. Author Jonathan Lethem named his 2007 novel You Don't Love Me Yet after two songs with the same title, one of which was by Erickson. Lethem called Roky's song "irresistible."
The TV show The X-Files had a character named "Roky Crikenson." This character was a tribute to Roky Erickson. Like Roky, the character believed he had been taken by aliens.
In a 1990s TV show called The John Larroquette Show, there was a story about seeing a famous writer, Thomas Pynchon. Pynchon agreed to let his name be used if it was mentioned that he wore a T-shirt with Roky Erickson's picture on it. This helped Roky's album sales.
The song "I Met Roky Erickson" by Daniel Johnston and Jad Fair is named after a time Johnston met Roky. The Swedish heavy metal band Ghost covered Roky's song "If You Have Ghosts." This song became very popular among Ghost fans.
See also
In Spanish: Roky Erickson para niños
