Yes. Yes indeed, gents. I have extensive data on Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators, from the beginning up to now. I saw them play live 5 times between 1966 and the end of 1967, and I went to a few shows that Roky did with the Explosives in the late 70s and early 80s. He is the greatest rock 'n roll singer I ever saw. His career has been intermittently brilliant, shambolic, crazed and horrifying. His influence goes infinitely farther than his fame and non-fortune ever did. I was telling Morebetter99 a while back that when Robert Plant went to South by Southwest in Austin last year (a music industry convention/festival focused on regional bands), that if he ran into Roky Erickson there, he'd do the right thing if he'd kneel down and kiss Roky's feet. I've seen Roky at the peak of his powers and he was the most magnificent, transcendent performer of cutting-edge revolutionary music there was at the time. I also saw him when he was doing a solo spot inside of an Explosives show, and he wailed his songs about B-movie sci-fi monsters, two-headed dogs, zombies, robots, vampires and Satanic symbolism. His voice and subject matter had changed, but he still had the dynamic that no other singer posessed. The last time I saw him live, he was sick and it looked like his central nervous system had short-circuited...it was disturbing to watch...I hear he's doing well these days. He got his medication right, his teeth got fixed, his brother took over his custodial rights from his mother, who was letting him waste away, and he's back on his feet, moving forward with friends the Butthole Surfers helping to get his writing and recording royalties worked out. When the Citykings recorded "Four Lifetimes" at SugarHill studios in Houston, the International Artists logo was still on the wall there, and Studio A is exactly as it was when the Elevators recorded "Psychedelic Sounds" and "Easter Everywhere" there. We did one song in Studio A, and I was haunted by the ghosts of those sessions...the CKs didn't know what I was talking about...I could go on for days about this, but you guys not only spoke the truth about Syd, Roky and it brought to mind a few more, but it opened Pandora's Box over here in Wildcat Country. Thanks. You're right on the money. WC1
Roky Erickson, 1966: