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Henry Rollins

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Henry Rollins (born February 13, 1961) is an American Hardcore Punk Rock singer and songwriter; he has also been active as a storyteller, author, actor, poet, comedian, radio and TV personality and voice-over artist. He lives in Los Angeles, California but recently stated that he was moving back to his hometown of Washington, D.C. [citation needed]. He is most notably famous for his work with the hardcore punk outfit Black Flag. He recently performed successfully amidst a flurry of adulation as a spoken word artist at the 2006 Download Festival in the UK

Biography

He was born Henry Lawrence Garfield in Washington, D.C.. His parents divorced when he was young, and Rollins was raised primarily by his mother, Iris. He was prescribed Ritalin as a child and was sent to the Bullis Academy, a Washington, D.C., military school. He disliked the authoritarian atmosphere and the then-boys-only campus, which impeded his early attempts at dating and made him uncomfortable around women for several years. More positively, he said Bullis helped instill in him a sense of discipline and a strong work ethic. It was at military school that he began to develop his muscular build, which later led to what is known as the "most hardcore neck in music."

Rollins became involved in the punk scene through his close friend Ian MacKaye (who would later head Minor Threat and Fugazi). Bad Brains was one of Rollins's favorite groups; singer H.R. would sometimes coax Rollins onstage to sing with them. Rollins then joined S.O.A. (State of Alert), which released one EP before disbanding. Rollins worked at a number of jobs (including at the National Institutes of Health), before becoming the manager of a Häagen-Dazs ice cream store; his steady employment and work ethic enabled him to finance the recording and pressing of the S.O.A. EP.

In 1981, his friend Mitch Parker gave him a copy of Black Flag's Nervous Breakdown EP. Rollins soon became a huge fan and began exchanging letters with the group. When Black Flag toured the East coast, playing Washington D.C. and New York City, Rollins attended as many performances as he could. At an impromptu show in a bar, he asked to sing "Clocked In." As vocalist Dez Cadena was switching to guitar, the band invited Rollins to a rehearsal. Impressed by his stage demeanor, they asked him to become their permanent vocalist. Despite some doubts, he accepted, due in part to MacKaye's encouragement. His high level of energy and intense personality made him a perfect fit as their frontman.

File:Henry Rollins of Black Flag.jpg
Rollins in the 1980s

As his body acquired more tattoos, he wore clothes less. Often as lead singer of Black Flag and the Rollins Band he would hit the stage barechested and barefoot wearing only a pair of black shorts.

Rollins toured and recorded with Black Flag from 1981 until their breakup in 1986. During Rollins' tenure, Black Flag's music underwent dramatic changes. Though guitarist Greg Ginn was the primary songwriter, Rollins wrote a number of songs with Black Flag.

Throughout most of his time with Black Flag, Rollins kept a diary of his thoughts and experiences. In 1994 he published these diaries as Get In The Van; the book also featured many photographs, as well as Rollins' reminiscences of his time with the group before he kept a diary. Rollins read portions of Get In The Van for an audio book; this recording won a Grammy. Rollins later characterized the entire affair as "corny" and gave his Grammy statuette to an acquaintance.

Rollins began publishing his own books during his time with Black Flag. His early efforts were self-made volumes (photocopied and stapled), though he quickly began printing chapbooks before moving on to establish 2.13.61, an independent publisher named after his birthday.

After Black Flag broke up in early 1986, Rollins quickly formed a new group and released a solo album and an EP with guitarist Chris Haskett. Soon, he added former Gone members Andrew Weiss and Sim Cain, calling the new group the Rollins Band. They gained popularity through the strength of albums like The End of Silence (1992) and Weight (1994). He also gained roles in movies and television shows (particularly as a VJ on MTV) and recorded a cover of AC/DC's "Let There Be Rock" in 1991 with the Hard-Ons.

Beginning in his later years in Black Flag, he has toured as a spoken-word artist, focusing mostly on social topics, as well as recounting his life experiences. His blend of self-deprecating humor and serious discussion of important social issues has gained him great popularity. He has released nine spoken-word albums through his 2.13.61 publishing company (and several through other record companies); 2.13.61 has also released books by Rollins, Joe Cole, Nick Zedd, Nick Cave and Michael Gira, as well as albums by Rollins Band, Exene Cervenka, Hubert Selby Jr., The Birthday Party, and Gun Club.

Also while in Black Flag, Rollins met Joe Cole, an acquaintance of Ginn. In December 1991, Rollins and Cole were robbed at the home they shared. Cole was murdered by a shot to the head, and while Rollins escaped without injury, the crime remains unsolved. Most of Rollins' subsequent efforts have been dedicated to his late friend's memory.

Rollins is an avowed free jazz fan, having released albums by Matthew Shipp and Roscoe Mitchell on his 2.13.61 label. In 1990, Rollins guest-hosted a Los Angeles, California college radio program and devoted much of this appearance to saxophone player Albert Ayler's music. [1]

Rollins has the distinction of having duetted with Star Trek's William Shatner on the 2004 album Has Been.

Radio and television work

On May 17, 2004, Rollins began hosting a weekly radio show, Harmony In My Head (named after a favorite Buzzcocks song) on Los Angeles' Indie 103.1 radio. The show aired every Monday evening, with Rollins playing a variety of rock, punk, rap and jazz music. He put the show on what would be an indefinite hiatus, with the last show airing on December 27, 2004, in order to undergo a spoken-word tour in early 2005. An expanded edition of Rollins' song lists and show notes of the first run of the show were published by 2.13.61 in November 2005 by fan demand as the book Fanatic. In late 2005, Rollins announced the return to the airwaves of Harmony in My Head; Internet users can listen online every Tuesday evening from 8 to 10 p.m., PST, at http://www.indie1031.fm, as of December 27, 2005.

Rollins is a co-host of the television program Full Metal Challenge on The Learning Channel, as well as the host of a weekly series called The Henry Rollins Show on the Independent Film Channel (IFC) airing every Saturday night at 10 p.m. The show is described this way on its official Web site [2]:

"Henry Rollins unveils the independent alternative to late night programming with his unique take on music, film, politics and pop culture with the help from intelligent celebrity guests and the most eclectic musical performances on television.".

Prior to his weekly series on IFC, Rollins was a host of Henry's Film Corner, a monthly look at movies and cinema.

In 2004, he became an outspoken human rights activist, most vocally a crusader for gay rights. He has pinpointed the rights for gays to marry as a "vital issue impeding on the rights of Americans today." He was the host of a benefit concert called "WedRock" to raise money for a pro-gay-marriage organization. During the 2003 Iraq War, he started touring with the United Service Organizations (USO) to entertain troops overseas, despite his personal opposition to the war and the Bush administration[3]. Rollins has also been very active in the campaign to free the "West Memphis Three" - three young men who many believe are wrongly accused of murder. Rollins appears with Public Enemy frontman Chuck D on Black Flag song "Rise Above" on "Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three," a benefit album to help pay for the West Memphis Three defense fund. He also appears on a number of other songs.

Trivia

Rollins appeared as himself in the video game Def Jam: Fight for NY as the main character's trainer. His Blazing Move in the game is called 2.13.61 which is, in fact, his actual date of birth.

Discography

 
Henry Rollins

Musical releases

Spoken word releases

Spoken word DVDs

State of Alert releases

Black Flag releases

Rollins Band releases

Miscellaneous

Books

  • 1000 Ways to Die 2.13.61 Publications
  • Knife Street 2.13.61 Publications
  • Pissing in the Gene Pool 2.13.61 Publications
  • End to End" 2.13.61 Publications
  • One from None - Collected work 1987 Publishers 2.13.61 Publications 1991 ISBN 1-880985-04-7
  • Broken Summers 2.13.61 Publications, (November 2003) ISBN 1-880985-75-6
  • Unwelcomed Songs Two Thirteen Sixty-One Pubns, (September 2002) ISBN 1-880985-71-3
  • See a Grown Man Cry, Now Watch Him Die 2.13.61 Pubns, (August 1997) ISBN 1-880985-37-3
  • High Adventure In The Great Outdoors 2.13.61 Pubns, (1992) ISBN # 1-880985-02-0 (Originally Published as three volumes, 2.13.61, End to End, and Polio Flesh)
  • Solipsist 2.13.61 Publications, (August 1998) ISBN 1-880985-59-4
  • The Portable Henry Rollins Villard, (February 10, 1998) ISBN 0-375-75000-2
  • Get in the Van: On the Road With Black Flag 2.13.61 Pubns, 2nd edition (January 1996) ISBN 1-880985-24-1
  • Henry Rollins: The First Five 2.13.61 Pubns, (October 1997) ISBN 1-880985-51-9
  • Black Coffee Blues 2.13.61 Pubns.
  • Do I Come Here Often? (Black Coffee Blues, Pt. 2), Shannon Wheeler (Illustrator) 2.13.61 Pubns, (December 1998) ISBN 1-880985-61-6
  • Smile, You're Traveling (Black Coffee Blues Part 3) 2.13.61 Pubns, (October 1, 2000) ISBN 1-880985-69-1
  • Eye Scream 2.13.61 Pubns, (October 1996) ISBN 1-880985-32-2
  • Turned On Flag Henry Rollins by James Parker, Orion Books,
  • Fanatic! Song lists and notes from the Harmony In My Head Radio Show" 2.13.61 publications, 2005
  • Roomanitarian" 2.13.61 publications, Nov. 2005

Film and video

Sources

 
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