Henry Rollins

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Biography

Recent Role:
Himself on 50 Documentaries To See Before You Die
Gender:
Male
Born:
2-13-1961
Birthplace:
Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Birth Name:
Henry Garfield
AKA:
Henry Garfield, Henry Lawrence Garfield
In the '90s, Henry Rollins emerged as a post-punk renaissance man, without the self-conscious trappings that plagued such '80s artists as David Byrne. Since Black Flag's breakup in 1986, Rollins has been relentlessly busy, recording albums with the Rollins Band, writing books and poetry, performing spoken-word tours, writing a magazine column in Details, acting in several movies, and appearing on radio programs and, less frequently, as an MTV VJ. The Rollins Band's records are uncompromising, intense, cathartic fusions of hard rock, funk, post-punk noise, and jazz experimentalism, with… More Rollins shouting angry, biting self-examinations and accusations over the grind. On his spoken-word albums, he is remarkably more relaxed, showcasing a hilariously self-deprecating sense of humor that is often absent in his music. All the while, he has kept his artistic integrity, becoming a kind of father figure for many alternative bands of the '90s.

Henry Rollins was born Henry Garfield in Washington, D.C., on February 13, 1961. He performed in local hardcore bands as a teenager, and one night when his heroes Black Flag came to town, he leaped up on stage and began singing with them. Shortly thereafter, when Flag vocalist Dez Cadena decided to switch to guitar, the band invited Rollins to audition, and he became their new lead singer. By the time Black Flag broke up in 1986, Rollins had not only garnered a reputation as one of the fiercest performers in hardcore punk, but had already begun touring as a spoken-word performer. Rollins made his recording debut as a solo artist in 1987 with Hot Animal Machine, and also issued his first spoken-word album, Big Ugly Mouth, that year (as well as the Drive By Shooting EP, recorded as Henrietta Collins and the Wifebeating Childhaters).

Following Hot Animal Machine, Rollins assembled a backing unit, the Rollins Band, which featured soundman Theo Van Ronk, guitarist Chris Haskett, and the former rhythm section of Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn's side project Gone -- bassist Andrew Weiss and drummer Simeon "Sim" Cain. Not counting several live recordings made in Holland in 1987, the Rollins Band made their studio debut with 1988's Life Time, followed quickly by the outtakes/live collection Do It. 1989 saw the release of a new Rollins Band album, Hard Volume, and the spoken-word set Sweatbox; they were followed in 1990 by the live set Turned On, and yet another lengthy spoken-word release, Live at McCabe's.

1991 was a pivotal year for Rollins, for better and worse. The Rollins Band inked a deal with Imago that promised much-improved distribution, and also appeared on the Lollapalooza tour. But in December of that year, Rollins and his best friend, Joe Cole, were held up by gunmen waiting outside of Rollins' L.A. home. Cole was fatally shot in the head; the devastating trauma of the incident never quite left Rollins, and occasionally (though indirectly) informed his subsequent work. In 1992, with Human Butt, Rollins began releasing his spoken-word albums through 2.13.61, the publishing imprint he'd founded in 1984. In addition to Rollins' own work, both recorded and written, 2.13.61 grew during the '90s to include literary works by rock artists like Exene Cervenka and Nick Cave, plus material by acclaimed authors like Henry Miller and Hubert Selby, Jr., among others. 1992 also saw the Rollins Band debut for Imago with The End of Silence, which some found to be his most focused music yet, and gave Rollins his first charting album. The spoken-word double-disc The Boxed Life appeared in 1993, and toward the end of the year, Rollins Band bassist Weiss was replaced by Melvin Gibbs. 1994 became Rollins' breakout year thanks to the one-two punch of Weight -- the best-reviewed and most popular Rollins Band album to date, which cracked Billboard's Top 40 -- and Get in the Van: On the Road with Black Flag, a double-disc set of readings from Rollins' memoir of the same name that won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Recording. Additionally, the Rollins Band performed a well-received set at Woodstock '94. With all the increased visibility, Rollins became a genuine phenomenon; Details magazine chose him as their Man of the Year in 1994, and wound up making him a contributing columnist. Primed by appearances on MTV and VH-1, Rollins also made his film debut that year in The Chase, and went on to appear in movies like Johnny Mnemonic, Heat, and Lost Highway over the next few years.

Unfortunately, Imago was out of business by 1995, leaving the Rollins Band in temporary limbo until they secured a deal with DreamWorks in 1997. In the meantime, Rollins undertook a jazz/poetry experiment with Everything, which featured musical backing by avant-garde luminaries Charles Gayle (saxophone) and Rashied Ali (drums). The Rollins Band debuted for DreamWorks in 1997 with Come in and Burn, which failed to earn the acclaim of the group's previous few albums. Black Coffee Blues appeared the same year, and like Get in the Van, it featured a series of readings from a Rollins book of the same name. In 1998, Rollins released Think Tank, his first true set of non-book-related spoken-word material in five years.

By this point, Rollins felt that his partnership with the Rollins Band had run its course, as their music grew more experimental and less unremittingly intense. He had been producing a Los Angeles hard rock trio called Mother Superior, and wound up inviting the band -- guitarist Jim Wilson, bassist Marcus Blake, and drummer Jason Mackenroth -- to back him as a brand-new incarnation of the Rollins Band. The first fruits of this new collaboration were released in 2000 as the album Get Some, Go Again. A new spoken-word release, Rollins in the Wry, followed in 2001, culling performances from Rollins' residency at the L.A. club Luna Park during the summer of 1999. Another live album appeared in the summer of 2002, The Only Way to Know For Sure.

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  •  
    10 Perfect
    Best when he's being himself. hide show

    It's often hard to watch Henry Rollins when he is in a movie role. Whether it be the thug in <i>Heat</i>, the Doctor in <i>Johnny Mnemonic</i> or the nameless policeman in <i>Lost Highway</i>, there has always been something missing from his performace. It's the idea that he is playing someone else, and not being himself. That's why Rollins is best when he is just himself.

    Rollins has made a career as a musician and an actor, but his philisophy is what makes him so unique. Not afraid to speak his mind, Rollins has his own opinions on everything and tells people. But while others simply follow the crowd, Rollins thinks about the issue before spouting out some rehashed rhetoric. He also understands what it's like to be poor and on the road as a member of the band. He remembers what it was like. But what makes Rollins a true star is even though on his show and on the musical stage he appears to be a violent angry man, when in fact he is also a kind person who actually listens to the people he interviews and thanks his fans politely after his shows. A class act, and someone who has achieved more balance in this life than any other person.

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    darquesyde Added Sep 29, 2006 All my reviews
  •  
    10 Perfect
    The Voice of Reason (sometimes) hide show

    Anyone who really knows me knows I love Henry Rollins. I think the man is brilliant. Where I don't always agree with his views and his anger (which has tappered off in recent years), he has a way of saying things that I want to agree with him.
    Both Henry Rollins and Kevin Smith are men that I could listen to talk for hour upon hours and not get bored. They have way with words that makes even extremely offensive material seem humorous and okay.
    With that said, Henry hasn't always been blessed with the best rolls on tv or movies. Remember him in Bad Boys 2? You really don't? Well that's no big suprise. His commanding presence is often covered and held back in weak and small roles that even he can't bring to life.
    I'd love to see him as a lead character in a film or tv show, and hopefully we will sooner than later.

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    optophobic Added Aug 1, 2005 All my reviews
 

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