Seven ages of rock - a history of rock music over the past 50 years

Henry Rollins joins Black Flag

21 August 1981

Henry Rollins was the fourth singer in a long line of front men for the band Black Flag. The band had fought their way into the newly formed California Punk scene by funding their own national tours and self releasing three EPs worth of DIY Punk material. They attracted a dedicated and passionate following. Among them was Henry Rollins, who would closely follow their tours and exchange letters with the band. One evening he asked if he could step in and sing "Clocked In", the current singer Dez Cadena (who was hoping to change to play guitar anyway) stepped aside and let Rollins hurtle through a supercharged version. The band was so impressed by his energy, they asked him to rehearse with the band and eventually join them as the lead singer. His powerful and aggressive presence drew considerable attention to the band on the release of their first studio album 'Damaged' in December.