In describing Henry Rollins, the tendency is to try to squeeze as many labels as possible into a single sentence. “Rollins is many things,” says the Washington Post, “diatribist, confessor, provocateur, humorist, even motivational speaker…his is an enthusiastic and engaging chatterer.” Entertainment Weekly’s list includes “Punk-rock icon. Spoken word poet. Actor. Author. DJ. Is there anything this guy can’t do?” TV Guide has more concisely called him a “Renaissance Man” – but if Henry Rollins could be reduced to a single word, that word would undoubtedly be “workaholic.”

For better than a quarter century, Rollins has toured the world as a spoken word artist, as frontman for both Rollins Band and Black Flag and – without a microphone – as a solitary traveler with insatiable curiosity bypassing the resorts in favor of places like Siberia, Iran, Pakistan, and Burma. When he’s not living out of a suitcase, Rollins is constantly at work as an actor, radio DJ, author of more than 20 books, and running his publishing company and record label 2.13.61. Henry currently hosts a weekly radio show on L.A.’s renowned NPR affiliate KCRW, has a recurring role in the upcoming season of the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, and is a regular contributor to VanityFair.com with his “Straight Talk Espresso” blog.

• Spoken Word
Described by the New York Daily News as “some of the most provocative chit-chat around,” Henry’s spoken word performances – “talking shows,” as he calls them – are a seamless (yet seemingly extemporaneous) mix of humor and indignation; pop culture, political commentary and personal anecdote; healthy skepticism and his own belligerent form of optimism.

His most recent tour, 2008’s election-season “Recountdown,” was a scathing retrospective of the Bush Presidency. In 2005 (stretching into 2006), Henry celebrated 25 years on the road with “25 Years of Bullshit,” followed by his “Provoked” tour in 2007. He earned a GRAMMY award in 1994 for Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Album for his reading of his classic punk-rock travelogue Get in the Van, and has more than two dozen spoken word CDs and DVDs to his credit.

Henry was chosen to give the 2009 commencement address at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, CA. A transcript of Henry’s speech is available at www.henryrollins.com.

• Writing
Dishing on everything from Dick Cheney and Newt Gingrich to stem cell research and hate crimes, Henry’s barbed commentary on American culture and politics appears regularly on VanityFair.com with his blog “Straight Talk Espresso.” Henry has written more than 20 books, including Black Coffee Blues, Get in the Van, and Broken Summers. His newest book, A Preferred Blur, is due in stores in September 2009 via his own 2.13.61.

• Acting
Henry joins the cast of the darkly comedic FX television drama Sons of Anarchy with a recurring guest starring role in the fall 2009 season. The show, about a motorcycle club in the fictional town of Charming, CA, stars Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal and Ron Perlman.

Henry’s previous acting credits span more than 20 films, including David Lynch’s Lost Highway, Bad Boys II, and the upcoming horror/comedy Suck, as well as extensive voiceover work.

• Radio
Henry recently returned to the station where he first did radio work more than 20 years ago, with a new weekly show on L.A.’s acclaimed KCRW. Billed as “a great mix of all kinds from all over from all time,” Henry’s show airs Saturday nights from 6-8pm Pacific, and streams online at KCRW.com.

Previously, he hosted the weekly “Harmony In My Head” on L.A.’s now-defunct Indie 103.1 FM. His trilogy of Fanatic books put Henry’s passion for music on display with meticulously annotated playlists from the show.

• IFC
For three seasons, Henry shared his topical rants, musical tastes, and played film critic and thoughtful interviewer as host of The Henry Rollins Show (and, previously, Henry’s Film Corner) on cable network IFC. More recently, he mixed performance and documentary in a string of Uncut specials filmed in New Orleans, Northern Ireland, South Africa, and Israel.

• Music
Before leading the GRAMMY-nominated Rollins Band, Henry made his mark as the frenetic frontman for legendary punk band Black Flag.

Rollins Band performed at the 37th Annual GRAMMY Awards, and was nominated for Best Metal Performance that same year for the song “Liar.” In 2003, Henry spearheaded the West Memphis Three benefit album Rise Above, which featured two dozen songs by his former band (Black Flag) played by his then-current Rollins Band line up, with guest vocalists ranging from Ice T and Chuck D to Lemmy, Iggy Pop, and Henry himself. The classic Rollins Band lineup reunited in 2006 for a co-headlining tour with seminal Los Angeles band X.

• Travel
Henry has performed on six continents and in nearly 50 countries. Despite his outspoken criticism of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Henry has been an enthusiastic supporter of the USO in recent years. In addition to several USO tours performing for American soldiers (in Kuwait, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and the first artist in the history of the USO to visit the troops in Egypt), Henry is a frequent visitor to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC.

On his own, Henry has taken the road less traveled – and shared those experiences in his books and talking shows – plunging headlong into the desolation of the Trans-Siberian Railroad, the political turmoil of Burma, Cambodia, Pakistan, Iran, Syria, Laos and countless other corners of the globe.