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Henry Rollins and Charles Manson were pen pals

nme.com — Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins has revealed that he exchanged letters with the serial killer Charles Manson. Rollins said the pair wrote to each other a few times in the '80s after Manson took a shining to Rollins after seeing him on MTV.

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  • ScottMcIntyre, on 09/07/2008, -2/+29Creepy correspondence or what?

    QFA: "His letters would always have swastikas on them so they were easy to spot"
  • baillingskater, on 09/07/2008, -8/+11they both needed anger management..only one of them got that.
  • explicitmemory, on 09/08/2008, -23/+10Manson cares about the environment, while the current administration does not. - The irony.
    • Hiki, on 09/08/2008, -6/+2not really...
    • fleischner, on 09/08/2008, -2/+11There are so many different categories of stupid in this world. You belong to about three-quarters of them, in my estimation.
    • marc123, on 09/08/2008, -5/+3Leave him alone its not his fault he's from Texas (spelt "Texass").

      Being unfortunate enough to be born both American and Texan how could he be expected to understand irony?
    • mariecordona, on 09/08/2008, -0/+9How is that ironic? I do not think it means what you think it means.
      • marc123, on 09/08/2008, -0/+6i think it was alanis morrisette whe redefined the meaning of the word to be a catch-all term for anything sad/dissappointing/indicative of the madness of modern society. still it was a nice song tho.
      • shutaro, on 09/08/2008, -1/+3Like raaaaaain on your wedding day?
  • welliwonder, on 09/08/2008, -4/+19I AM A LIAR!!!!

    ... classic...
    • mikedoth, on 09/08/2008, -9/+3Did Rollins ever make any new music?
      • jeuhrn, on 09/08/2008, -0/+4I don't know what you mean, but I feel so insulted out of pure douchbaggy fanboyism that I'll bury you.
      • Agrajag, on 09/08/2008, -1/+0I do know what you mean, and no. No, he just made that one and then faded off into obscurity to be the rock'n'roll janitor/ninja he is today. He puts out records, and no one hears them... NINJA!
      • fugazied, on 09/08/2008, -0/+2He makes plenty of records, writes plenty of books, does plenty of spoken word stuff. The quality of the music has gone down since the black flag and rollins band (with chris haskett), but it still has it's moments.
    • StrangeFamous, on 09/08/2008, -0/+7I'LL EAT YOUR SOUL
    • bonds, on 09/08/2008, -0/+9HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
  • heavystone, on 09/08/2008, -3/+36I few times makes them "pen pals"?
    • josephbloseph, on 09/08/2008, -4/+1How well do you keep up with pen pals? "a few times" is a lot more mailed correspondence than I typically deal with.
  • schleppo, on 09/08/2008, -7/+28I read the title and just thought "Well, of course they were."
    • FreefallDream, on 09/08/2008, -0/+2yeah, i wasn't too surprised either.
  • powercrazy13, on 09/08/2008, -35/+1Rollins sucks
  • DirtPile, on 09/08/2008, -4/+43Let's not be judgmental, here. Who *doesn't* put swastikas on their envelops?
    • Smokeydabear, on 09/08/2008, -0/+21I had a stamp made at a print shop so I don't have to draw them all the time.
    • RRJackson, on 09/08/2008, -0/+4I kinda wonder how often swastika-emblazoned mail would get "lost." It would be interesting to see some numbers.

      Lost mail sans swastika: .7%
      Lost mail with swastika: 16%
  • iamsocruel, on 09/08/2008, -5/+2 sometimes there were semi lucid responses? so Rollins understood the majority of the letters?
  • chanop, on 09/08/2008, -8/+10Glad to see murderers in supermax's are getting their MTV in
    • duggdowncatisad, on 09/08/2008, -0/+10Fine by me, if they're rotting their brains in front of the TV then they aren't assaulting the guards/other inmates or planning an escape.
    • phoenixshard, on 09/08/2008, -0/+2Do they even play music on MTV anymore? Every time I go through it there is anything but music playing.
      • dafragsta, on 09/08/2008, -1/+4He clearly said this happened in the 80s.
      • phoenixshard, on 09/08/2008, -0/+3Wasn't commenting on the 80's either. I thought that was obvious by the use of the word anymore.
      • PopcornDave, on 09/08/2008, -0/+3Yeah imagine the killing spree Manson would go on if he had to watch their "My Sweet 16" show for more than 5 minutes.
  • Smokeydabear, on 09/08/2008, -0/+5I bet Manson gets tons of mail from people. I'd like to write the son of a bitch a letter myself.
    • davewashere, on 09/08/2008, -0/+4Richard Ramirez has his own "Nightstalker" stationary with a logo at the top that he created himself. Don't ask me how I know this.
    • itsthebrod, on 09/08/2008, -2/+2And tell him to stop inspiring crappy freakish musical "artists"?
  • Ch33t0, on 09/08/2008, -2/+9I would feel pretty intense and heavy if that bastard mailed me. Dugg for Henry Rollins!
  • scarwars, on 09/08/2008, -10/+3卐 boe 卐
    • freezerburn666, on 09/08/2008, -0/+8never knew there was a character for that...
      • oderdigg, on 09/08/2008, -0/+3There used to be this charter in Windows but an update fixed that. We don't need history to tell us anything...
      • xLSDx, on 09/08/2008, -1/+7apparently you can punch 卐.com into your browser, and it gets redirected here http://xn--zkr.com/

  • gl77, on 09/08/2008, -4/+52"...................exchanged letters with the serial killer Charles Manson.................."

    In his defense and to be more accurate, Charles Manson has never killed anyone, let alone be a serial killer.
    • peestandingup, on 09/08/2008, -16/+1Buried for that alone.
      • peestandingup, on 09/08/2008, -1/+4Damn, I got hammered.

        I meant the ARTICLE was buried, not the poster. I was agreeing with him.
    • uberchaoslord, on 09/08/2008, -2/+11Buried for writing the actual truth? I'm not defending Manson in any way, but the facts stand that he didn't kill anyone directly, which would be a prerequisite for being a "mass murderer".

      I'm guessing you like to let others think for you a lot, am I right?
      • PhantomZmoove, on 09/08/2008, -9/+7If he would have been in a government position, he wouldn't even be in jail.
      • hipnerd, on 09/08/2008, -3/+10Actually, most "mass murderers" did not commit all their crimes themselves. People like Hitler and Stalin simply gave the orders -- just like Manson.
      • ventralnet, on 09/08/2008, -3/+8@PhantomZmoove

        shut the ***** up and stop trying to make every article political
      • HonestAbe, on 09/08/2008, -9/+3Actually, most "mass murderers" did not commit all their crimes themselves. People like Hitler, Stalin and Bush simply gave the orders -- just like Manson.
      • phoenixshard, on 09/08/2008, -0/+5Ordering the killings is the same as actually doing it yourself in the eyes of the law.
      • Anonchrist, on 09/08/2008, -1/+1I actually read Honest Abe's comment and thought; "Hitler, Stalin and Bush. Could he have picked more obvious examples of other mass murders?" Then, I saw phoenixshard's comment and wondered how that made the example political... I need to spend less time on Digg.
    • haleym, on 09/08/2008, -4/+3Yes, he did. His murder weapons were the brainwashed members of his "family". Trying to defend him by saying he never technically killed anyone himself is pure semantic *****.
    • diggopolous, on 09/08/2008, -1/+1Ohhh sure Charlie did. Not only was he an accessory before and after the fact for several murders. He outright killed a ranchhand "Shorty Shea". Go ahead and google it.
    • gl77, on 09/09/2008, -1/+1serial killer
      n. A person who attacks and kills victims one by one in a series of incidents.

      clearly not Manson

      mass murderer
      n.
      1. A person, especially a political or military leader, who is responsible for the deaths of many individuals.
      2.
      1. A person who kills several or numerous victims in a single incident.
      2. A serial killer.

      At first glance, it might define Manson, but when you think about it, was Manson really the only one responsible for those killings? or was it the ones who actually did the killing?
      • diggopolous, on 09/09/2008, -1/+1 no Manson and a whole lot of people would be alive. His idiot followers are also culpable. Don't be an apologist. I heard that "denial" is the new "*****."
  • mcsenget, on 09/08/2008, -1/+18Who DIDN'T get a couple of letters from Charles Manson back in the day?

    Doesn't make us all his pen pals.
  • bacchante, on 09/08/2008, -14/+2Take a good look at Rollins eyes. Something isn't right. They are screaming a mix of "do not trust me ever" and "I'm scared out of my mind". The man is a psychopath. Something about him also screams "I have sexual identity/sexuality issues".

    Ever read his bio - a friend of his was killed with him standing there.

    They somehow know the motive of the crime though they never solved the case. It is hard to find information on it now, but I believe he was not cooperative with the police investigation.
    • Pledio, on 09/08/2008, -0/+1I think Rollins is very self-aware of his problems. Not to say I'm not absolutely frightened by him.
      • bacchante, on 09/08/2008, -2/+2I believe he puts on an excellent show of appearing to be self-aware of his problems and attempts to appear able to relate to the common man.
    • Viriatus2, on 09/08/2008, -0/+5don't judge people just for the look of their eyes
      • PopcornDave, on 09/08/2008, -1/+1Why not? It worked for Bush with Putin... oh wait.
  • techweenie1, on 09/08/2008, -6/+2That explains a lot.
  • carolinaws, on 09/08/2008, -11/+1Ok, that's kinda creepy.

    Would it be creepier if Henry Rollins and Marilyn Manson were pen pals?
  • highwebl, on 09/08/2008, -0/+36In Rollins's spoken words stuff, he sometimes talks about how he likes to respond to all correspondence. I emailed him once, and he wrote back promptly--especially considering he was on the road. He was very polite.
    • Smokeydabear, on 09/08/2008, -0/+14He seems like a nice guy all around, as well as "Flea" from the RHCP. I'd like to have brunch with the both of them.
    • oderdigg, on 09/08/2008, -0/+9I've seen him twice in a spoken word. He plainly kicks ass.
    • ventralnet, on 09/08/2008, -0/+6they don't seem like the kind of people who have "brunch"
      • Spire3660, on 09/08/2008, -0/+2There is nothing girly about the fusion of breakfast and lunch. Bring on the eggs benedict with a side of prime rib, shrimp cocktail and some mimosas.
  • skip694, on 09/08/2008, -4/+3cool
  • franklymister, on 09/08/2008, -1/+12There's not a lot to do when you're in prison, so I'm not surprised from Manson's part. Coming from the punk scene where I used to create a zine myself, we'd write back to pretty much anyone, too - even if it was, maybe especially if it was, someone like that.

    I used to correspond with GG Allin when he was in prison. He was incarcerated with John Wayne Gacy, and he once asked me if I'd like him to write an interview Gacy for our zine. I didn't reply quickly enough, and within a couple months, they were both dead. I still wish I'd answered that last letter.
    • physicalzero, on 09/08/2008, -0/+3Dugg for GG Allin
      • Ferago, on 09/08/2008, -0/+3In a somewhat related note, GG's brother Merle has several serial killers pen pals, and collects art work that they do.
  • Hetman, on 09/08/2008, -3/+6Crazy people are awesome. I like mansons thinking. He is like do not forget to save wildlife, but hey its cool to write swastikas all over yourself and hate anyone that is not white and kill a bunch of innocent people. I wish that thier was some way to actually view the world through his eyes for about 1 minute. Any longer than that you would probably go crazy yourself.
    • shaelen, on 09/08/2008, -3/+2What what? When did he kill anybody?

      Oh, and you meant to spell it "there."
      • phoenixshard, on 09/08/2008, -0/+4When he ordered the murders to take place, the same as if you had done it yourself.
      • shaelen, on 10/27/2008, -0/+1How so, Phoenixhard? Because people don't have brains of their own?
    • laughandsing, on 09/08/2008, -0/+5So from what I gathered Serial Killing is awesome? Crazy people are intriguing and interesting, but not awesome. Maybe thats what you meant.
    • Hetman, on 09/08/2008, -0/+7OK intriguing. I mean the way they think is really interesting. Secondly I never said he killed anyone. I said he believes it is all right to kill innocent people. Just like I said he believes it is all right to save wildlife. I never said he was doing anything to save wildlife.
  • moxley, on 09/08/2008, -7/+12It is true (as people have pointed out) that Manson is not a "serial killer" as he didn't actually kill anybody. He was convicted of "conspiracy" to commit murder I believe.

    It is also true that he most definitely didn't get a fair trial.

    It is also true that he scared the ***** out of the establishment and many other people, and kinda still does - but he is also a very intelligent man and when he is lucid makes some excellent points about how ***** up our society is. Just because he is a nutbag that is associated with some brutal muders, and a drug/sex "cult" doesn't mean that everthing he says is a load of *****. I think he is likely smarter and less sociopathic than someone like...oh, i dunno...Dick Cheney?
    • nesagwa, on 09/08/2008, -1/+7The homeless guy on the corner that smells like poo and raves about aliens all day but sometimes says something about how the world sucks is also a genius.
    • sindex, on 09/08/2008, -0/+11If one speaks enough, one will eventually make a valid point. It doesn't make Manson special in any way.
    • Ramenhood, on 09/08/2008, -7/+1Dugg down for a Cheney joke. OK, we get it, Bush and Cheney aren't that smart. :P
    • CrazyDelaney, on 09/08/2008, -0/+0
      Manson is a murdering piece of *****.
  • insamnia, on 09/08/2008, -0/+9Best pen pal EVAR.
  • GVR90, on 09/08/2008, -6/+1So?
  • BXRWXR, on 09/08/2008, -4/+2Actually, that makes a lot of sense.
  • Cortney21, on 09/08/2008, -1/+7i LOVE henry rollins

    my mom actually saw charles manson in person, they scheduled mansons transfer to a different jail and a jail tour at the same time by accident, she said it was way creepy.
  • hoohaha, on 09/08/2008, -0/+4Charles Manson was actually a pretty successful folk artist. Search for him on Youtube, it isn't even all that bad, just a little disturbing.
    • sevvo, on 09/08/2008, -0/+4"Garbage dump, oh garbage dump. . . why do they call it a garbage dump. . . ?"
      • shutaro, on 09/08/2008, -0/+2***** creepy...
      • sevvo, on 09/08/2008, -0/+2What's even creepier: I saw that clip on one of those old Werewolf Video "documentaries" about 12 years ago, and I STILL remember that line!
  • shaelen, on 09/08/2008, -4/+2I'm not sure why this matters.
    • nomadofthewaves, on 09/08/2008, -0/+3Because its digg. Does a majority of whats posted on here really matter?
  • adammharvey, on 09/08/2008, -1/+9yet another interesting thing about Rollins.
  • galv0, on 09/08/2008, -2/+1Henry Rollins does the talking part in Tool's song "Bottom". What a freaking sweet song.
  • silverzone, on 09/08/2008, -2/+9WWHRD
  • shutaro, on 09/08/2008, -2/+2Not many people know that Charles Manson is the biggest underground blues sensation since the Beatles.
  • rowlodge, on 09/08/2008, -2/+1i wonder if it was ever proved that this guy killed anyone, i mean didn't someone else do these murders for him?, not that he isn't a "ringleader" and should be punished for it.
  • IgorUnchained, on 09/08/2008, -4/+9Manson DID kill someone, but not the Tate/Labianca victims....those were killed by his "family". Manson admits to killing a man long before those incidents that made him famous.

    Henry Rollins had a bit of a "Manson phase" in his youth and not only did he send letters, he also has one of the largest collections of Manson songs out there. I once asked Rollins (as a fan...in an email) if he would put any of those songs on his "Harmony in My Head" radio shows and he said something to the effect of "I dont think that the majority of the audience would enjoy that very much".

    Who would win in a fight between Henry Rollins and God? Trick question.....Rollins IS God.
    • omgsideburns, on 09/08/2008, -0/+6Whoa whoa.. i think you got Rollins confused with Lemmy there at the end of that.
  • Ventolin, on 09/08/2008, -1/+4Looks like ol' Hank's got another story for the talking shows.
  • SpykerSpeed, on 09/08/2008, -0/+8I think the important thing to take away from this story is that Charles Manson was watching MTV. He's the perfect example of their target demographic!
  • Lockhart, on 09/08/2008, -0/+8What's up with the huge fonts?
    • whyisntcakesin, on 09/08/2008, -0/+1when the article is only 5 sentences long, it makes it look like the author took the time to research and write out a full article
  • banmeagaindigg, on 09/08/2008, -1/+4Buried for terrible consideration with the type layout
  • engion3, on 09/08/2008, -2/+1I love Rollins

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3djWrn_90s
  • Rich711, on 09/08/2008, -0/+6Rollins mentioned this in an interview years ago, he's talked about it for YEARS.... where is the news?
  • seanhive, on 09/08/2008, -2/+2Metal.
  • Phelyx, on 09/08/2008, -3/+2Why do people call Charles Manson a serial killer?
  • goldfyngor, on 09/08/2008, -3/+2Why was Black Flag on MTV in 1984?
    • boombye, on 09/08/2008, -0/+5Because before your time, they used to play music videos and have some decent shows, like the one that Henry Rollins hosted.. Most of the time it was music videos, they even had cool shows like Liquid Television or whatever that had a bunch of short animations...They used to actually play stuff like portishead or even megadeth.. Now they have 'my super sweet 16' and shows about people who got famous for adding everyone on myspace.
  • smartass007, on 09/08/2008, -8/+1charlie knew how to totally control hot young girls who would ***** him whenever he pleased or kill others on his command.

    on the other hand, diggers know how to google for porn and live in their mom's basement.
  • morgino, on 09/08/2008, -6/+2Manson is actually a pretty smart guy who happens to be nuts. I can't believe that they are able to keep the guy in jail for a crime he didn't even commit.
    • rowlodge, on 09/08/2008, -0/+3every time his parole comes up he tells these parole officers hell kill them all and everyone else left on earth, for one reason, sure he'd be better off in a mental hospital but the public wouldn't allow it.
    • diggopolous, on 09/08/2008, -0/+2Manson is guilty of conspiring to commit murder, being an accessory before and after the fact and actual murder (hint google "short shea"
  • TunaFishGangsta, on 09/08/2008, -0/+8Henry Rollins has got a lot of awesome stories. I downloaded some of his old tapes where he goes on about his early black flag days and they are pretty wild.
  • jstem1994, on 09/08/2008, -0/+5Saw Rollins on a spoken word tour in Cincinnati. He's got some great stories.
  • trshtehdsh, on 09/08/2008, -1/+7i think this just confirms that Henry Rollins is Hardcore. And yet, at the same time, one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet.
  • SSAG, on 09/08/2008, -4/+0That's great. I'll sit here at work all day so my tax money can go to Charles Manson laying around watching MTV.
    • shaelen, on 09/08/2008, -1/+4You call that "work?"
      • shaelen, on 09/09/2008, -1/+2I was just being silly because you said you "sit" at work all day.
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