Tattoos have often been considered a sign of a rebel, and the world of music has embraced skin art heartily. Image always was a big part of music, but music video and the internet have made it moreso. Whereas ink used to be the sign of a rebel rocker, it's now almost become part of the uniform.
One of the first musicians to draw public attention for getting tattooed was 60s singer Janis Joplin. She had her few small tattoos done by master tattooist Lyle Tuttle. In the 1970s, Cher shocked many by getting a large floral tattoo on her buttocks. Now in her 60s, it's reported that she's having the entire thing, plus subsequent tattoos lasered off entirely. The Stray Cats revived rockabilly music in the 80s, and their personal tattoos helped kick off what is now the "old school" style of ink.
Hard rock bands have long embraced the tattoo, with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rose Tattoo and Biohazard being examples where all members have a well-developed collection of tattoos. Performer Henry Rollins began his tattoo collection while the lead singer of Black Flag, and continues to carry it with him in his careers as spoken-word artist, actor and writer/publisher. Recently there were mentions in the press that representatives for Eminem were wishing the rapper/actor would stop adding to his tattoo collection so that he wouldn’t become less marketable in consideration of acting roles. Many of Eminem's tattoos are fineline blackwork, a personal combination of images in a coverage style that is typical and popular today in the rap world.Tattooing has moved so far into the music mainstream, it's not uncommon to see more and more heavily tattooed musicians. Marilyn Manson has full sleeve tattoos. Travis Barker has nearly his entire body surface covered in ink. And if new singer Amy Winehouse continues her current acquisition rate, she too might wind up with majority coverage.
To see more celebrity tattoos, you might like
Tattoo Nation: Portraits of Celebrity Body Art by Rolling Stone, David Ritz or you might like
Celebrity Skin: Tattoos, Brands, and Body Adornments of the Stars by Jim Gerard
