Bio
Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, raconteur, stand-up comedian, spoken word artist, writer, publisher, actor, radio DJ and activist best known for fronting the California hardcore punk band Black Flag, from 1981-1986.
Rollins has toured the world as a spoken word artist, as frontman for both Rollins Band and Black Flag and - without a microphone - as a solitary traveler with insatiable curiosity bypassing the resorts in favour of places like Siberia, Iran, Pakistan and Burma.
When he's not living out of a suitcase, Rollins is constantly at work as an actor, radio DJ, author of more than 20 books and running his publishing company and record label 2.13.61.
Henry currently hosts a weekly radio show on L.A.'s renowned NPR affiliate KCRW, has a recurring role in the FX television series Sons of Anarchy and is a regular contributor to VanityFair.com with his "Straight Talk Espresso" blog.
Described by the New York Daily News as "some of the most provocative chit-chat around," Henry's spoken word performances - "talking shows," as he calls them - are seamless (yet seemingly extemporaneous) mix of humour and indignation; pop culture, political commentary and personal anecdote; healthy skepticism and his own belligerent form of optimism.
His 2008 election-season tour "Recountdown," was a scathing retrospective of the Bush Presidency. In 2005 (stretching into 2006), Henry celebrated 25 years on the road with "25 Years of Bullshit," followed by his "Provoked" tour in 2007.
He earned a Grammy award in 1994 for Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Album for his reading of his classic punk-rock travelogue Get in the Van, and has more than two dozen spoken word CDs and DVDs to his credit.
Dishing on everything from Dick Cheney and Newt Gingrich to stem cell research and hate crimes, Henry's barbed commentary on American culture and politics appears regularly on VanityFair.com with his blog "Straight Talk Espresso."
Henry has written more than 20 books, including Black Coffee Blues, Get in the Van, and Broken Summers.
Henry joins the cast of the FX television drama Sons of Anarchy with a recurring guest starring role in the fall 2009 season.
His previous acting credits span more than a dozen films, including David Lynch's Lost Highway, Bad Boys II and the horror/comedy Suck, as well as extensive voiceover work.
For three seasons, Henry shared his topical rants, musical tastes, and played film critic and thoughtful interviewer as host of The Henry Rollins Show (and, previously, Henry's Film Corner) on cable network IFC.
He mixed performance and documentary in a string of Uncut specials filmed in New Orleans, Northern Ireland, South Africa and Israel.
Before leading the Grammy-nominated Rollins Band, Henry made his mark as the frenetic frontman for legendary punk band Black Flag.
Rollins Band performed at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards, and was nominated for Best Metal Performance that same year for the song "Liar."
In 2003, Henry spearheaded the West Memphis Three benefit album Rise Above, which featured two dozen songs by his former band (Black Flag) played by his then-current Rollins Band members, with guest vocalists ranging from Ice T and Chuck D to Lemmy and Iggy Pop to Henry himself.
The classic Rollins Band lineup reunited in 2006 for a co-headlining tour with seminal Los Angeles band X.
Henry has performed on six continents and in nearly 50 countries. Despite his outspoken criticism of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Henry has been an enthusiastic supporter of the USO in recent years.
In addition to several USO tours performing for American soldiers (in Kuwait, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and the first artist in the history of the USO to visit the troops in Egypt), Henry is a frequent visitor to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC.