Henry Rollins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Rollins
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Rollins at Wacken Open Air 2016
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Henry Lawrence Garfield |
| Born | February 13, 1961 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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| Years active | 1980–present |
| Labels | 2.13.61 |
Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, actor, comedian, and speaker. He started his music career in 1980 with the punk band State of Alert. From 1981 to 1986, he was the lead singer for the famous hardcore punk band Black Flag.
After Black Flag, Henry Rollins started his own record label and publishing company, 2.13.61. He also formed the Rollins Band, which toured for many years. Besides music, Rollins has hosted radio and TV shows, acted in movies and TV series, and written many books. He is also known for supporting important causes like gay rights and helping to end war. Today, he hosts a weekly radio show and writes for Rolling Stone Australia.
Contents
Early Life
Henry Rollins was born in Washington, D.C., on February 13, 1961. His parents divorced when he was three, and his mother raised him. When he was in fourth grade, doctors found that he had hyperactivity, which meant he had a lot of energy and sometimes found it hard to focus. He took medicine for a few years to help him concentrate in school.
Rollins went to The Bullis School, an all-boys school in Potomac, Maryland. He says this school taught him to be disciplined and work hard. It was there that he began writing. After high school, he went to American University for one semester but left in December 1979. He then worked different jobs, including delivering kidney samples for the National Institutes of Health.
Music Journey
Starting with State of Alert
Henry Rollins first loved hard rock bands. But soon, with his friend Ian MacKaye, he became interested in punk rock. From 1979 to 1980, Rollins helped out D.C. bands, like Teen Idles. Sometimes, he would even sing with Bad Brains singer H.R. on stage.
In 1980, Rollins joined a punk band called the Extorts, which then became State of Alert (S.O.A.). He wrote lyrics and became their lead singer. S.O.A. recorded their only EP, No Policy, in 1981. Rollins enjoyed being the frontman and was known for being very energetic at shows. He later said he "loved to get in the dust-ups." Rollins helped pay for the S.O.A. EP with money from his job at an ice cream store.
Joining Black Flag
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In 1980, Rollins became a big fan of the band Black Flag. He even let them stay at his parents' house when they toured. At a show in New York, Black Flag's singer, Dez Cadena, let Rollins sing a song. The band was very impressed with Rollins's singing and his powerful stage presence.
The next day, Black Flag asked him to be their new singer because Cadena wanted to play guitar instead. Rollins accepted, encouraged by his friend Ian MacKaye. His high energy and strong personality fit the band's style perfectly. Black Flag's founder, Greg Ginn, wanted a singer who could help the band try new sounds beyond simple punk.
After joining Black Flag in 1981, Rollins quit his job, sold his car, and moved to Los Angeles. He got the Black Flag logo tattooed on his arm and neck and started using the stage name Rollins. His first show with Black Flag was on July 25, 1981. Rollins found Los Angeles very different, and the police often bothered him because he was in Black Flag.
Before concerts, Rollins would get ready by pacing the stage and grinding his teeth. He would even squeeze a pool ball to focus. Critics were amazed by his stage presence. One critic wrote that Henry was "incredible. Pacing back and forth, lunging, lurching, growling; it was all real, the most intense emotional experiences I have ever seen."
By 1983, Rollins's intense stage style sometimes caused problems with the band. Black Flag also faced legal issues that stopped them from releasing new music until 1984. The band started changing their musical style, adding heavy metal music influences and slowing down their songs. They even grew their hair long to surprise their punk fans. These changes made many of their original fans unhappy.
The Rollins Band and Solo Work
Before Black Flag broke up in 1986, Rollins had already started performing solo spoken-word shows. In 1987, he released two solo music albums. He then formed the Rollins Band with guitarist Chris Haskett and other musicians. The band toured constantly and released their first album, Life Time, in 1987.
In 1991, the Rollins Band became more popular after signing a new deal and playing at the Lollapalooza festival. However, in December 1991, a terrible event happened. Rollins and his best friend, Joe Cole, were attacked outside Rollins's home. Joe Cole was killed. Rollins was deeply affected by this, as he wrote in his book Now Watch Him Die. Despite this, he kept making music. The Rollins Band released The End of Silence, which was his first album to appear on music charts.
In 1994, the Rollins Band played at Woodstock 94 and released Weight, which made it onto the Billboard Top 40 charts. Rollins also released Get in the Van: On the Road with Black Flag, an audiobook of his Black Flag tour diary. He won a Grammy Award for this. Rollins was even named "Man of the Year" by Details magazine and started writing for them. He also began appearing on MTV and VH1 and made his first Hollywood movie appearance in The Chase.
In 1995, the Rollins Band's record label went bankrupt. Rollins then focused more on his spoken-word career and continued acting in films like Heat and Lost Highway. The Rollins Band later signed with Dreamworks Records and released Come In and Burn in 1997.
By 1998, Rollins felt it was time for a change with his band. He formed a new version of the Rollins Band with the members of the band Mother Superior. They released their first album, Get Some Go Again, in 2000. The band released more albums until 2003. After that, Rollins focused on radio and TV work. In 2016, Rollins explained that music was a "time and a place" for him, and he felt he had nothing new to add to it.
His Unique Voice
As a singer, Rollins has used different styles. In his early punk days, he had a "compelling, raspy howl." With State of Alert, he "spat out the lyrics like a bellicose auctioneer." When he joined Black Flag, he changed his style to match their music, which became more intense.
With the Rollins Band, he often mixed spoken word with his singing, like in the song "Liar". He would also bark out lyrics and use sudden changes from quiet to loud. A critic from Rolling Stone called his style a "screeching hate machine." His lyrics with the Rollins Band often focused on being true to oneself.
On Stage and Screen
TV Shows and Movies
As Henry Rollins became more famous, he started appearing on TV. He hosted shows like Alternative Nation and MTV Sports. He also acted in movies like The Chase. In 1996, he began presenting and narrating VH1 Legends.
Rollins hosted Henry's Film Corner on the Independent Film Channel and later his own weekly show, The Henry Rollins Show. He also hosted the horror show Night Visions in 2001. In 2002, he co-hosted the British show Full Metal Challenge, where teams built vehicles to compete. He also made guest appearances in shows like Jackass and Californication.
In 2009, Rollins played A.J. Weston, a tough gang leader, in the second season of Sons of Anarchy. He also voiced "Trucker" in American Dad! and Bonk in the animated film Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. In 2014, he voiced the villain Zaheer in the animated series The Legend of Korra. He has continued to act in TV shows like Z Nation and Deadly Class.
Rollins's film career began with independent films featuring Black Flag, like The Slog Movie (1982). After Black Flag, he appeared in movies like Johnny Mnemonic and Heat. In 2007, he was in Wrong Turn 2: Dead End as a retired Marine Corps officer. He also appeared in documentaries about punk music, like American Hardcore.
Radio and Podcasts
Since 2004, Rollins has hosted a weekly radio show called Harmony in My Head on Indie 103.1 in Los Angeles. He plays all kinds of music, from rock to jazz and world music. The show often features rare songs and live recordings. Even when he's touring, Rollins makes sure to record new shows. The show ended when the station closed in 2009.
However, in 2009, Rollins started hosting a new live show on KCRW radio, which airs on Sunday nights. As of 2023, he has hosted over 748 episodes! In 2015, Rollins also started a podcast with his manager, Heidi May, called Henry & Heidi. They share stories that Rollins hasn't told on stage.
Video Games
Rollins has also lent his voice and likeness to video games. He was a playable character in Def Jam: Fight for NY and Def Jam Fight for NY: The Takeover. He also voiced Mace Griffin in Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter.
Helping Others
Henry Rollins is a strong supporter of human rights. He often speaks about justice and equality during his spoken-word tours. He has actively campaigned for gay rights and hosted events to raise money for pro-gay-marriage organizations.
During the Iraq War, Rollins toured with the United Service Organizations (USO) to entertain troops overseas. Even though he was against the war, he felt it was important to perform for the soldiers. He wanted them to feel connected to the world outside their bases. He has made eight tours to different countries, including Iraq and Afghanistan.
Rollins has also worked to help the "West Memphis Three", three young men who were wrongly convicted of murder. He even performed a Black Flag song called "Rise Above" for a benefit album to help them. This was the first time he had sung Black Flag material since 1986.
He continues to support US troops and veterans. In 2008, he joined the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) to create campaigns that help veterans return to their communities after war. In 2015, he also showed his support for Bernie Sanders during the 2016 presidential election.
Personal Life
Rollins has stated that he does not follow any specific religion. He considers himself a private person and has few close relationships outside of his work. One of his closest friends is musician Ian MacKaye, whom he has known since childhood. He also became friends with actor William Shatner after working on Shatner's album Has Been.
Works
Henry Rollins has created a lot of different works throughout his career.
Musical Works
He released music with his bands State of Alert and Black Flag. With the Rollins Band, he released many albums, including Life Time, Weight, and Nice. He also released solo music albums like Hot Animal Machine.
Spoken Word and Books
Rollins is well-known for his spoken-word performances, where he tells stories, shares his thoughts, and talks about his travels. He has released many spoken-word albums and videos, such as Big Ugly Mouth and Think Tank.
He has also written many books, including Black Coffee Blues, Get in the Van: On the Road with Black Flag, and Eye Scream. He has recorded audiobooks of his own works and other books, like World War Z, for which he voiced a character. He also published a series of books called Fanatic! and Stay Fanatic!!!, which share his thoughts on music and include photos and flyers from his collection.
Other Appearances
Rollins has also made guest appearances on songs by other artists, including Tool, Iggy Pop, and William Shatner. He also produced an album for the Australian hard rock band The Mark of Cain called Ill at Ease.
Images for kids
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Rollins in 2013, performing spoken word
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Rollins signing a guitar while on a United Service Organizations (USO) tour in Iraq in 2003
See also
In Spanish: Henry Rollins para niños
