Roger Kynard “Roky” Erickson was the singer, songwriter and guitarist of The 13th Floor Elevators, a band from Austin, Texas, widely credited as one of the pioneers of psychedelic rock in the mid-1960s.
The 13th Floor Elevators
The band’s first single, “You’re Gonna Miss Me” (1966), became a regional hit and is still one of the defining garage and psychedelic rock songs of the decade. The Elevators were known for Erickson’s howling vocals and for the electric jug played by Tommy Hall, and they influenced many later artists.
Hard years and a comeback
After a 1969 arrest for possession of marijuana, Erickson pleaded insanity and spent years in Texas state hospitals, including Rusk State Hospital. He struggled with mental illness for decades afterwards. In the 2000s, with help from his family, he returned to recording and performing, including festival shows around the world. He died in 2019.
