Keven McAlester

The Fascinating Story of Rock ‘n Roll Pioneer Roger Kynard “Roky” Erickson And His Struggles With Drug Addiction and Mental Illness.

Outside Austin, Texas, a 53-year-old man sits in an apartment with four radios, three televisions, two amps, a radio scanner, and a Casio electric piano playing all at the same time. Loudly. He has three teeth, his hair is matted into one huge dreadlock, and he has a notarized document on his wall declaring himself an alien, “so whoever’s putting shocks to my head will stop.”

This is the story of Roky Erickson: the manic singer and front man for the legendary band, The 13th Floor Elevators who are considered by many to be the creators of psychedelic music and muse to Janis Joplin. “You’re Gonna Miss Me,” is a disturbingly intimate portrait of an imploding family and the struggle between modernized medicine and religion. Known for his colossal heroine and LSD binges and an ongoing struggle with schizophrenia, Roky has become one of music’s legendary tragic figures.