Frank Schwichtenberg · CC BY-SA 3.0

Henry Rollins fronted the hardcore punk band Black Flag from 1981 to 1986, his confrontational stage presence helping define the genre, then built a second career as a spoken-word artist and writer, founding the label 2.13.61 to release his own recordings. He later moved into acting, hosted television and radio shows, and has campaigned publicly for causes including gay rights and freeing the West Memphis Three.