Henry Rollins is once more stepping up to the plate to help the West Memphis Three, three young men many believe were unjustly accused and convicted of murder simply because of their rocker appearance and lifestyle.  

Rollins who held a charity concert last February in Hollywood is now planning to put together a benefit CD featuring Black Flag songs with guest vocalists. Here is a statement from Rollins record label Epitaph Records, �Henry Rollins is doing a benefit album for the �West Memphis Three,� three teenagers who were convicted of a crime unfairly and could face the death penalty for it; Jim Lindberg of Pennywise was asked to come up to Cherokee Studios in Hollywood and contribute vocals for a Black Flag song for the benefit album. The album will be Henry's band playing Black Flag songs with different singers for each track; there's a wide list of people doing vocals including Cory from Slipknot and Exene from X. The song Jim did was �Don't Care,�  (which is one we previously recorded for various projects; PW did the circle jerks version but Flag did it originally). This is a worthy cause and Henry is doing a cool thing by raising money for their defense. Learn more about the �West Memphis Three� at www.wm3.org�

Here is a statement from Henry about why he became involved in the WM3 cause: 

After watching the two documentaries, (Paradise Lost and Revelations: Paradise Lost 2) which detail what happened to the victims (both dead and alive) my reaction was a mixture of sadness and anger:

Sadness at the death of the little boys and the unimaginable sense of hopelessness, heartbreak and frustration that fills their relatives on a regular basis. Then anger at what appears to be a made-for-television worst case scenario breakdown in the American justice system.

What the West Memphis Three have been put through, and are going through, is an American nightmare of the highest order.

I wanted to get involved. 

If this kind of insanity is allowed to happen in America, then no American is really safe. To do nothing is to submit to this horrific slander of truth and basically join in with the perpetrators. 

It's simple for me. I don't know who killed those three little boys. I just know it's not the West Memphis Three. So, what can I do? Raise some money and hopefully some awareness. I don't know what else I can do, if someone has an idea, let me know. 

Damien Echols faces lethal injection for a crime he didn't commit. Jason and Jesse face life in prison. It might as well be you or me. After the benefit on March 8th, I will get in my car and drive to my house. That, in itself, is kind of obscene seeing what these three are dealing with.

I am in awe of the people who have worked so hard on the behalf of the West Memphis Three; that someone saw something they knew was wrong and stood up and went to work. How can I merely wave from the sidelines?

I can't.

--Henry Rollins 

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