Roky Erickson is the founder of pioneering Texan psychedelic band the 13th Floor Elevators, an outfit that emerged in mid-1960s from Austin's underground scene and influenced bands ranging from ZZ Top and Primal Scream to The Flaming Lips and Queens of the Stone Age.
Erickson suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and, after a marijuana bust, spent years in mental institutions, undergoing electroshock therapy and other "treatments." After, he spent many years as a recluse and lived in poverty. His story is beautiful, sad, inspiring, and weird. Follow the trip in Keven McAlester's excellent 2005 documentary You're Gonna Miss Me above, named for one of the band's greatest tunes that you can check out below:
