Roky Erickson, the beloved and troubled “Godfather of Psychedelic Rock” who influenced a generation of musicians with his songs of love and monsters, died on May 31 at the age of 71. No cause of death was given. Erickson helped introduce America to the psychedelic sound when his band The 13th Floor Elevators performed “You’re Gonna Miss Me” on the TV show “American Bandstand” in 1966:

The song cracked the Billboard top 100, peaking at #55 in 1966, but Erickson’s career was derailed by struggles with mental illness, including schizophrenia. After a 1969 arrest for possession of marijuana, he was sentenced to a mental institution instead of prison; there he was subjected to electroshock therapy and given Thorazine, Texas Monthly reported in 2001. “I was in there with people who’d chopped up people with a butcher knife, and they treated me worse because I had long hair,” Erickson recalled, per the magazine. Erickson continued to record and perform when he was able, often creating inventive rock songs with lyrics referencing the supernatural and old monster movies, such as “Don’t Shake Me Lucifer,” “I Think of Demons,” “Night of the Vampire,” “Creature With The Atom Brain” and “I Walked With A Zombie.” That last song was a delightfully unusual pastiche of the 1960s girl group sound complete with a drum intro right out of “Be My Baby”:

Erickson also contributed the song “Burn the Flames” to the soundtrack of the cult horror-comedy, “Return of the Living Dead.” But he could produce aching ballads as well, including “I Have Always Been Here Before” and “You Don’t Love Me Yet”:

“Some artists are able to cut right through everything and get you,” punk rocker Henry Rollins told Texas Monthly in 2001. “Brian Wilson, Sam Cooke, Roky Erickson. His voice, lyrics and then the man himself — a sweet, likable guy who is so mysterious and obviously a genius.” Rollins published a book of Erickson’s lyrics in 1995. When Erickson was struggling with both health and finances, Rollins helped to pay for his dental work, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Erickson withdrew from the spotlight in the late 1980s. By 2001, he was taken in by one of his brothers, Sumner, and given treatment for his mental health issues. In the final years of his life, Erickson returned to public life, was the subject of the documentary film “You’re Gonna Miss Me” and began recording and touring again, including a triumphant 2005 appearance on “Austin City Limits.” That concert included ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, a longtime friend who also credited Erickson as an influence. In a Facebook post announcing the death, Gibbons hailed Erickson’s “legacy of remarkable style, talent, and poetic and artistic tales from beyond”: “It’s almost unfathomable to contemplate a world without Roky Erickson. He created his own musical galaxy and early on was a true inspiration. Even now, Roky is a source of creative energy of the first order.” “We certainly do know now that he’s at one with the universe,” Gibbons added. Twice-divorced, Erickson is survived by three children and several grandchildren, as well as three brothers and his mother, The Washington Post reported. Fellow artists and fans took to social media to pay tribute to him:

I need to go off in the woods. This fucking hurts. https://t.co/epJRlrGxry — Neko Case (@NekoCase) June 1, 2019

RIP Roky Erickson. One of the true original Garage Rock gods. Deepest love and condolences to brother Sumner, family, and friends. — Stevie Van Zandt (@StevieVanZandt) June 1, 2019

Ahh Roky Erickson. So many beautiful songs. Love forever. R.I.P. — Flea (@flea333) June 1, 2019

A sad day for anybody who’s ever felt strange and free. https://t.co/FYuq7zLDy3 — Jason Isbell (@JasonIsbell) May 31, 2019

I got to see Roky Erickson play once, when he was touring with The Black Angels as his backing band, playing some of the old 13th Floor stuff. Maybe 2008 or so. I don't remember much about how the songs sounded, just how visibly overjoyed he was to have the guitar in his hands. — Hanif Abdurraqib (@NifMuhammad) May 31, 2019

Roky was a god. I loved my time with him. His schizophrenia at the time made everyday things really hard for him and those around him. But every now and then, the background noise would dim, and Roky would shine like the diamond he is. Sid was there for one of those moments. https://t.co/eiEQDbil0E — King Coffey (@kingcoffey) June 1, 2019

Here’s to you Roky Erickson! pic.twitter.com/lFxjfpE5M3 — Tim DeLaughter (@TimDeLaughter) June 1, 2019

All the cultural notoriety that went to Jim Morrison should have belonged to Roky Erickson — Jeremy D. Larson (@jeremydlarson) May 31, 2019

Spent a lot of time with Roky in Austin once upon a time. Always such a huge fan of this legend who will be deeply missed. “At one time, I had it notarised that I was from another planet. By a lawyer.”

-Roky Erickson https://t.co/C6h4UDmQ6n — natasha lyonne (@nlyonne) June 1, 2019

If you have ghosts, then you have everything. RIP.https://t.co/yYoji301nw — John Scalzi (@scalzi) June 1, 2019

I used to go to lunch as often as I could with Roky Erickson, a gentle soul and pioneering figure in the history of psychedelic music. He didn't like to talk about his music much but he would talk at length about his favorite cartoons. We're gonna miss you, Roky. pic.twitter.com/DbUnWtxCPi — Ed Masley (@EdMasley) May 31, 2019

Roky Erickson was a visionary. "You're Gonna Miss Me" is one of the five greatest rock songs ever. "Splash 1" is one of the most beautiful. I like the 13th Floor Elevators version of "Baby Blue" more than Dylan's original (sorry). "I Walked With a Zombie" is untouchable. — Jason Diamond (@imjasondiamond) May 31, 2019

We’re incredibly sad to hear that ROKY ERICKSON passed away. The man melted our minds on countless occasions as the original godfather of psychedelia, and still someone the world hasn’t quite caught up to. Roky, thank you for making life a lot more interesting, strange & honest. pic.twitter.com/i2p7RJjO73 — Light In The Attic (@lightintheattic) May 31, 2019

Devastated to hear of Roky Erickson's passing. One of the reasons I began singing. A huge inspiration and giant in the history of rock. I used to call him every day in the 80's, he would actually pick up once every couple months and talk horror films with me. Such a loss. RIP pic.twitter.com/6HE4HHsZnS — mark lanegan (@marklanegan) May 31, 2019

"If you fear I'll lose my spirit

Like a drunkard's wasted wine

Don't you even think about it

I'm feelin' fine"

Love you, Roky, wherever you are. Equal parts bummed & numbed on this one. Damn. 💔 pic.twitter.com/NCzpnkx5gf — The Lees Of Memory (@TheLeesOfMemory) May 31, 2019