Typically, when we hear the term “Renaissance Man”, we picture a person who lived several centuries ago, one you would learn about in history books. Some may not realize that there are Renaissance men and women living today. They are people who are involved in several areas of the arts and are always in search of knowledge and understanding of the world around them. One such man is Henry Rollins. Henry Rollins first entered the music scene in 1981 when he was asked to be lead singer for the band Black Flag.
The band had already developed a large audience through touring, and with several previous singers, they had become a favorite in the underground music scene. Having been a big fan himself, Rollins immediately took the job. After releasing several albums and performing a countless number of live concerts, Black Flag parted ways in late 1986. Besides music, Rollins’ only other real passion is writing. His poetry, short stories, diary entries and essays attack fascism, ignorance and injustice while exploring human thought and behavior.
Publishers Weekly described his work as existing at “the frayed edges where reality ends and imagination begins”. He has over a dozen books in print, some of which include, Get in the Van: On the road with Black Flag, Black Coffee Blues, Solipsist and Art to Choke Hearts. He also runs his own publishing company, 2. 13. 61 Publications, which puts out his and several other authors work. Rollins has appeared in such major motion pictures as The Chase, Heat, and Lost Highway.
He is also a renowned spoken word performer, having sold out shows at colleges and halls worldwide. He has released several recordings of his speaking shows, as well as many albums of his current Rollins Band. Henry Rollins is an extremely intelligent and talented person. He doesn’t hesitate to question and challenge our society’s attitude and way of thinking. The way that he applies this to his music, writing and speaking, to me, makes him a perfect example of a modern day Renaissance Man.
