I just saw that documentary on Roky Erickson "You're Gonna Miss Me" last week.
For those that don't know who I'm talking about, Roky was a member of the psychedelic band the 13th Floor Elevators from Austin TX. They migrated to the San Francisco scene in the mid 60's and became one of the favorite underground bands. Roky is credited to have coined the term "Psychedelic Rock", as well as having a distinct singing voice.
Apparently Roky liked LSD very much. He claims to have taken the drug 300 times before he was arrested by Austin's finest for the possession of one marijuana joint. That put him in the Texas mental institution for the criminally insane for three years. According to doctors, much like Peter Green, Erickson was diagnosed with schizophrenia. After his stint in the institution he made a comeback in the '70s with his alien music before finally retiring in 1987. It's ironic that Daniel Johnston was at his peak in the Austin music scene around that time. (he's another
musician with mental issues) According to Wikipedia, Erickson has made a comeback too. hmm
I think the footage of Roky today would now be ten years old, but it's very disturbing to watch. All he wanted to do was turn on devices that made constant noise while watching the cartoon network. Not to mention his mother wasn't helping his cause by keeping him off medication. I also noticed his mother wanted to exploit the documentary for her own personal gain as a so-called singer/dancer.
Anyway, my long winded point is that from what I've seen in the recent Green documentary Man of the World, Green appears coherent and articulate. He can also still play the guitar. The fact that he's playing in public again no matter what the circumstances should be seen a blessing, and should be appreciated.