Music

Roky Erickson has long been considered one of rock 'n' roll's great tragedies. A groundbreaking godfather of psychedelic rock and a major inspiration for the iconic Janis Joplin's singing style, one unfortunate circumstance played a huge role in his life: In an attempt to avoid prison for marijuana possession, he was committed to a mental institution where a series of electroshock treatments unhinged an already fragile mind.

You're Gonna Miss Me, a documentary released Tuesday, tells that story. On Saturday, there will be a screening at the Granada Theater, followed by a performance by Mr. Erickson and the Explosives.

Director Keven McAlester, familiar to many from his days in the early '90s as a local music writer and editor, quickly ran into a problem with bringing Mr. Erickson's life story to the screen.

"The story of how he got to where he was wasn't enough to sustain a feature," Mr. McAlester says in a recent phone interview from Los Angeles, where he now lives.

However, in his dealings with the people who knew Roky, he was able to uncover a side of the musician's legend unknown to most: the toxic, disordered and dysfunctional dynamics of the Erickson family.

It becomes clear watching Miss Me that even without all the drugs (there were plenty), the institutionalized abuse (ditto) and the pressures of fame, Mr. Erickson would have had a lot to deal with.

Saddled with a delusional mother (who provides some of the most shocking and affecting footage), a distant father, schizophrenia and a host of siblings dealing with their own fallout, Roky wobbles through the movie. You can't bear to look, but at the same time you can't look away.

"You can't just make a movie about great music," Mr. McAlester says. "I was fascinated by the human story that surrounded the family."

A likely disaster gave the film a positive ending that Hollywood might shy away from. "We first shot the ending in 2002, and it was completely out of focus. When we returned to re-shoot, things had changed."

It would be unfair to reveal that change here, but You're Gonna Miss Me is a moving testimony to even the damaged human spirit, rewarding in ways that far exceed mere rock history.

Matt Weitz is a Dallas freelance writer.

guidelive@dallasnews.com

You're Gonna Miss Me will be shown Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Granada Theater (3524 Greenville Ave.), followed by a performance by Roky Erickson and the Explosives. Tickets are $20 general admission, $25 and $35 reserved, and are available from www.granada theater.com, CD World or by calling 214-826-1885.