Anyone familiar with Roky Erickson’s story knows that his recent ACL taping was a historical triumph. Casey Monahan, who runs the Texas Music Office and has followed Roky’s journey for the last few decades was at the taping. He had this to say about it:

If you said as recently as five years ago that Roky would be performing at Austin City Limits I would have thought you were crazy. No one in Austin could have imagined such a thing happening.

But
it’s true: In November 2007, one of Texas’ most original artists, Roky
Erickson, taped an ACL episode. And special guest Billy F. Gibbons
joined in the celebration of what is Roky’s 60th year on Earth.

Roky has inspired his hometown of Austin since 1965, the year his
pre-13th-Floor-Elevator band The Spades released a 45 of You’re Gonna
Miss Me; the year the electric Dylan (with the Hawks) came to town to
play; the year Janis left Austin pretty much for the last time for
California.

Today Roky’s voice is as strong as when he released
his CBS (UK) debut in 1979 — maybe even stronger. One of America’s
greatest rock & roll singers is back now, living proof that rebirth
can happen when you least expect it. Roky’s return from the fringe is a
true inspiration to all who know his story. Sometimes things get
better. Sometimes the good guy wins and begins regularly touring Europe
for the first time in a 45-year career. Sometimes America gets the
chance to sing along with Roky on the TV those immortal lines from his
song “The Wind And More” (this episode’s final selection):

All the more to tempt you

with the birds and bats are your guide

all the more in the devil’s right

all the more haunts hide

all the more they’ve been snickering, hiding there for you

hoping you would see them hiding there,

become aware,

say “Boo!”

– Casey Monahan, Texas Music Office

For more information and the backstory on Roky, check out You’re Gonna Miss Me: A Film about Roky Erickson .

Tags: rocky erickson

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 10th, 2008 at 5:21 pm by Emily_Blog and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.