“You’re Gonna Miss Me” is Keven McAlester’s mesmerizing and haunting documentary about Texas cult-artist Roky Erickson. Roky rose to fame with the 13th Floor Elevators when they took the single “You’re Gonna Miss Me” (Americana connection? Check out the guy playing jug in the video!) onto the pop charts in 1966. Roky has been credited with coining the phrase “Psychedelic Rock” and he’s been described by Lucinda Williams as a “genius.” It was rumored that Janis Joplin was going to join the Texas based 13th Floor Elevators, changed her mind, headed to California and ended up joining Big Brother and the Holding Company. Listen to Roky’s screams on the single “You’re Gonna Miss Me” and you can hear his influence on her singing style.
Unfortunately, Roky’s career unraveled quickly due to drug use, schizophrenia and an extended dysfunctional family. The entire depressing story of Roky’s collapse, failed comebacks, his equally unbalanced mother and his total withdrawal from the music business is told in the documentary You’re Gonna Miss Me.
Spoiler Alert: Don’t skip the bonus features! In an almost too good to be true ending Roky makes a miraculous recovery, regains lucidity, gains his independence and headlines a music festival in Austin, Texas!
“You’re Gonna Miss Me” is a fascinating study of the intersection of creativy, genius and insanity.
Highly recommended. Available on DVD.
A version of this article was previously published at HickoryWind.
