What is Henry Rollins' Net Worth?
Henry Rollins is a singer and actor who has a net worth of $6 million. Henry Rollins fronted the hardcore punk band Black Flag from 1981 to 1986. Following this, he recorded a number of spoken word albums, and formed the Rollins Band. Beyond music, Rollins has hosted myriad radio and television shows, appeared in movies, and been heavily involved in activism and political causes in the US.
Early Life and Education
Henry Rollins was born Henry Lawrence Garfield on February 13, 1961 in Washington, DC. He is the only child of Iris and Paul. When Rollins was three, his parents divorced; he was subsequently raised by his mother. Growing up, he suffered from sexual abuse and depression. He went to the Bullis School, an all-boys preparatory school in Potomac, Maryland, where he cultivated a disciplined work ethic.
After graduating, Rollins enrolled at American University, but dropped out after one semester. Subsequently, he worked a series of minimum-wage jobs, including as a courier for kidney samples at the National Institutes of Health.
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State of Alert
In the late 70s, Rollins began getting into punk rock with his friend Ian MacKaye, and worked as a roadie for various bands in the DC area. One of the bands, Teen Idles, invited him to sub in for their absent lead singer Nathan Strejcek. After this, word of Rollins' skill spread through the punk scene. In 1980, he joined the members of the punk band the Extorts, who had just lost their frontman, to form the group State of Alert. Rollins became the band's vocalist and frontman, and wrote several of its songs. State of Alert went on to release its sole EP, entitled "No Policy," in 1981.
Black Flag
Rollins initially became a fan of the California punk band Black Flag after a friend gave him a copy of its "Nervous Breakdown" EP. Subsequently, he exchanged letters with the band's bassist Chuck Dukowski, and invited Black Flag to stay at his parents' home when it toured the East Coast. Impressed by his vocals, and in need of a new vocalist, the group asked Rollins to become its new frontman. After joining Black Flag in 1981, Rollins sold his car, quit his job, and moved to Los Angeles. He went on to release six studio albums and two live albums with the band, including "Damaged," "My War," "Family Man," "Loose Nut," and "Who's Got the 10½?"
With Black Flag, Rollins developed an intense stage persona, where he would stride along the stage lurching and growing. Although critics were often impressed, Black Flag itself was not. During one concert, Rollins assaulted a member of the audience who attacked his bandmate. Tensions plagued the group, with guitarist Dez Cadena leaving and founder Greg Ginn firing Chuck Dukowski. Moreover, Black Flag began to transition to more heavy metal-inspired music, alienating many fans. At concerts, fans would express their displeasure by scratching, punching, and stabbing at Rollins, who often fought back by dragging them on stage. Black Flag disbanded in 1986, and reunited briefly in 2003, 2013, and 2019.
Rollins Band and Solo Career
While he was still part of Black Flag, Rollins toured as a solo spoken word artist, and released the album "Short Walk on a Long Pier" in 1985. He went on to release two solo records in 1987: "Hot Animal Machine" and "Big Ugly Mouth." During this time, Rollins joined guitarist Chris Haskett, drummer Sim Cain, and bassist Andrew Weiss to form the Rollins Band. The group toured constantly, and released its debut album, "Life Time," in 1987. This was followed in 1989 by "Hard Volume." Subsequent albums include "The End of Silence," "Weight," "Come in and Burn," and "Nice."
Rollins has released numerous spoken word albums throughout his career. They include "Sweatbox," "Human Butt," "The Boxed Life," "Eric the Pilot," "A Rollins in the Wry," and four volumes of "Talk is Cheap." He has also voiced audiobooks, including those to his memoir "Get in the Van: On the Road with Black Flag" and Max Brooks' zombie novel "World War Z."
(Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for A+E Networks)
Television, Film, and Radio
Due to his fame in the Rollins Band, Rollins began appearing frequently on television and film in the 90s and 2000s. His credits on TV include "Alternative Nation," "MTV Sports," "Unsolved Mysteries," "Welcome to Paradox," "Batman Beyond," "Jackass," and "The Legend of Korra." In 2009, he had a recurring role as A.J. Weston on the action crime series "Sons of Anarchy." Rollins has also hosted various programs, including "The Henry Rollins Show" and "10 Things You Don't Know About." Meanwhile, on the big screen, Rollins has made appearances in such movies as "The Chase," "Johnny Mnemonic," "Heat," "Lost Highway," "The New Guy," "Bad Boys II," and "Music."
In 2004, Rollins began hosting a weekly Los Angeles radio show called "Harmony in My Head." Later, in 2009, he began hosting a weeknight show on KCRW. He also records a semi-regular podcast with Heidi May entitled "Henry & Heidi."
Personal Life and Activism
Rollins has not been in a romantic relationship since his 20s. He is childless by choice, and considers himself a solitary person who prefers to maintain few intimate relationships.
An avid human rights activist, Rollins is outspoken in his support for LGBTQ rights. He also toured with the USO during the Iraq War, and launched a campaign to help veterans better reintegrate into society following their service. Additionally, Rollins has been involved with the World Hunger Relief charity as well as efforts to legalize cannabis.
Real Estate
In 1999 Henry sold a home in LA for $740,000 and bought a new home for $2.2 million. He listed this home for sale in November 2021 for $3.9 million.
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