VIDEO: Henry Rollins lectures on free speech

Henry Rollins, the iconic former frontman of the punk-rock band Black Flag, who will be performing at Sacramento State on Thursday, tried college and decided it wasn’t for him.

Rollins worked in a Haagen-Dazs store after dropping out of school in the 1980s. He went to concerts in his free time, often as a roadie. Eventually, he convinced bands to let him sing in their acts.

“I started out in music through the idea of punk-rock where you could potentially just get up there and let it rip and not have to be Eric Clapton or something,” Rollins said. “In high school, it never once occurred to me that I would be in a band.”

Rollins said a band in his neighborhood needed a singer as Lyle Preslar left the band to join Minor Threat.

“I joined them and that was (State of Alert),” Rollins said. “We were not very good but we had a good time and I learned a lot.”

State of Alert, the local punk rock band Rollins joined, did not last long, recording only a single extended play with not enough material to make an album. By the time the band dissolved, Rollins had been exchanging letters with Chuck Dukowski, the bassist of Black Flag. Dez Caldena, Black Flag’s frontman, intended to switch to guitar rather than sing and eventually hired Rollins to do vocals.

“Black Flag was already very established when I joined them, so a lot of the work to get them where they were had already been done,” Rollins said. “I learned a lot in that time as well.”

By the time Black Flag broke up in 1986, Rollins had gotten into spoken word and poetry, performing onstage during shows.

“I have been onstage talking since 1983,” Rollins said. “I started taking part in poetry readings and it grew into just me onstage with no paper to read, just me telling stories and what-not.”

In 1987, he released his second CD of spoken-word and two solo punk rock EPs. That same year, The Rollins Band was born.

“The Rollins Band was all about what I had learned and become in the years previous,” Rollins said.

The Rollins Band lasted until 2003, with a short reunion in 2006.

Rollins has appeared on TV numerous times. He worked on documentaries for the Independent Film Channel from 2005 to 2008, having two shows of his own. The shows were “Henry’s Film Corner,” where he reviewed movies, and “The Henry Rollins Show,” a talk show.

Alexandra Poggione, junior English major, is looking forward to seeing Rollins due to his TV presence.

“I’ve seen what he’s done on TV- some of his documentaries, so it’s cool he’s coming to campus. I like that he’s moved into spoken work and poetry. I like that better than punk rock,” Poggione said. “I’m actually glad he’s not doing music. I’d prefer to just listen to his stories.”

Rollins hosted his own radio show, Harmony in My Head, every Monday on Los Angeles’ Indie 103.1 until the station went off the air earlier this year. In March, Rollins began another radio show on Santa Monica’s KCRW 89.9 FM, titled Henry Rollins.

Rollins is also a human rights activist, campaigning especially for gay rights.

“For me, homophobia is the height of human ignorance, right up there with racism,” Rollins said. “It is so alarmingly ignorant that I can’t believe we even have to have the conversations that we do in this country. There were gay cave men, gay Vikings,” Rollins said. “Just get over it.”

John Yadollahi, junior speech pathology and audiology major, believes it is important for someone with Rollin’s status as a celebrity and his support of gay rights to speak on campus.

“It’s important to embellish that part of student life,” Yadollahi said. “It usually gets shoved under the rug.”

Rollins has also worked with different orphanages in Los Angeles and has helped in various fundraisers. He has also worked with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a program to improve the lives of recent veterans, and the United Service Organizations, where Rollins visits armed forces overseas to provide entertainment and boost morale.

“I have been all over the world with the USO. Its been a very eye-opening experience to say the least,” Rollins said. “I think it’s a good thing to get out of yourself and do something for someone else. I do more of it the older I get.”

Rollins will be lecturing about his recent travels abroad and performing spoken word from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday in the University Union Ballroom. There is no cost to attend.

Cole Mayer can be reached at [email protected]