The Golden Dawn

The Golden Dawn were one of the Texas psychedelic 1960s groups on the legendary International Artists label, most famous for the 13th Floor Elevators. In fact, the band sounded a lot like the Elevators, although their lead singer had a gentler, more fragile delivery than Roky Erickson. The similarity wasn't terribly surprising given that lead singer George Kinney had grown up with Erickson, and had once played with him in a pre-Elevators group, the Fugitives. Kinney also played in the Chelsea, which for a time included 13th Floor Elevator Powell St. John. The band became a part of the International Artists roster with the Elevators' help. They released a decent album in the late '60s, Power Plant, that (again, like the Elevators) featured a florid cover, inscrutable liner notes, and inscrutable lyrics. George Kinney's role in the Roky Erickson saga wasn't finished when the Golden Dawn broke up; he financed the publication of Erickson's book, Openers, which helped get Roky out of Rusk State Hospital. George Kinney died on July 18, 2022, at the age of 75. ~ Richie Unterberger