Rollen Stewart

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Rollen Stewart (born 1945), also known as Rockin' Rollen and Rainbow Man, was a fixture in American sports culture best known for wearing a rainbow-colored wig and holding up signs reading "John 3:16" at sporting events around the United States in the 1980s.

Stewart was a born again Christian obsessed with "getting the message out" through publicity stunts.

In the late 1980s, he began a string of bombings, mostly with stink bombs, in newspaper offices and public gatherings. In doing so, his intended message was "God thinks this stinks." He was then arrested in 1992 after a standoff in a California hotel during which he entered a vacant room with two men he was attempting to kidnap and surprised a chambermaid who then locked herself in the bathroom. He is currently serving a life sentence in jail on kidnapping charges.

In 1993, Steve Taylor wrote a song about him called Bannerman. His life story has been the subject of a film called Rainbow Man.

[edit] References

"End of the Rainbow" People Weekly. New York: Nov 30, 1992.Vol.38, Iss. 22; pg. 97 (703 word profile of Stewart)
"Rockin' Rollen, A Fan Only of God, Takes a Message to Every Game" Adelson, Suzanne. People Weekly. New York: Feb 1, 1988.Vol.29, Iss. 4; pg. 45
"Russians Meet Gate-Crasher" AP. New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York, N.Y.: Jul 22, 1980. pg. B.14 (226 word article on Stewart at Moscow Olympics)
"Sports World Specials; Resiliency Under the Rainbow No Relief in Sight Striking Out Give Her Credit Punching Doesn't Pay" Jim Benagh. New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Aug 18, 1980. p. C2 (10 paragraphs about Stewart and his rainbow wig)
"Briefing" James F. Clarity & Warren Weaver Jr.. New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Nov 27, 1985. p. B6 (4 paragraphs about Stewart, his wig, and his lawsuit for the right to hang his John 3:16 banner)