max s. gerber(the latest shot)

roky erickson is the most cooperative uncooperative subject i’ve had in years. i’d ask him if he could face a certain way or sit a certain way and he’d say “yup, yup” and then do something completely different. but he was really nice about it, and he kept saying things like “hey man, it’s great to see you again” and “what time’s the radio thing tomorrow?” even ten minutes into the photo session (about how long it lasted) i think roky was still under the impression that i was the radio station rep. i guess the camera and tripod wasn’t enough to tip him off. despite the confusion he was incredibly friendly and seemed quite pleased with everything going on around him.

to be fair i think roky’s had a rough life at times. after being a founding member of the 13th floor elevators in the 60’s and pioneering psychedelic music, it appears that roky had a bit of a breakdown, was sent to an institution, diagnosed with schizophrenia and given electroshock therapy. so, given that, i’ll forgive him for being slightly disoriented.

this was shot in the hallway (what passes for “backstage”) at the silent movie theater on fairfax in hollywood, where roky was promoting a new book.