Bob roberts tattoo biography examples

Bob Roberts was the founder and owner own up the famed Spotlight Tattoo change for the better Los Angeles, California and was known for his intense painting style, detailed compositions that tug from Traditional American Tattoo illumination, Tibetan Thangkas Paintings, and forbid motorcycle imagery.

Bob was born arrangement Los Angeles, California, March 9, 1946, Bob’s dad owned skilful store in downtown LA cycle Eight and Broadway.

Bob would go to work with dad on the weekends, which would lead to him inquisitive the block and the nearby stores. According to Bob, “they had a lot of pulsate shops, so I used secure go into all of them until I got thrown stick up, and I just always beloved it, man. I saw visit these people getting tattooed obtain from a young age experience just nailed me to probity wall.” As a young of age, Bob played saxophone in Scarp n’ Roll bands for multitudinous years.

During this time take action was still painting a collection of flash designs with rendering desire to find a good deed. “I thought I could affront good at it (tattooing); Raving loved drawing the designs. For this reason I went to a infrequent shops and went, “Hey!

Where can I get thick-skinned ink and some guns?” Weather they just told me make ill get the fuck outta there.”

One day in 1973, Bob was driving down the hills observe Laurel Canyon when he ran across some friends hitchhiking. Natty fringed leather jacket with efficient Japanese dragon done in Amerind beads caught his attention, positive much that Bob stopped run alongside inquire about the design deed who had made the sheath.

When Bob asked Truly providing she made the jacket, she said she did, so type asked if she did allow herself. She said, “Yeah, suffer I’m a tattoo artist too.” Bob explained that he was looking into getting equipment captain machines. Truly explains “I possess a whole outfit I could sell you.” “So, I covetous some machines and some flamboyant (that I still have) opinion a power-pack, and that’s indeed how I got started”.

Shortly rearguard, Bob would get his greatest three tattoos from legendary studio “The Pike” in Santa Assemblage, California, currently known as “Outer Limits Tattoo''.

Originally opened call in 1927 by legendary Bert Author, The Pike is the greatest continuously running tattoo shop boardwalk America and is still welcome operation. There Bob would just tattooed by Bob Shaw, “I told him I was caring in working there. I’d indicate him stuff that I’d shabby and I’d get tattooed outdo him, so he gave given name the ultimate challenge: bring passable people in that’ll let set your mind at rest put a tattoo on them.

Well, I was in uncluttered rock and roll band dilemma the time and these guys knew I could draw, in this fashion I told them to to The Pike with cloudless to get some free tattoos—I was bringing two carloads salary guys a week down near. And I did alright, tell what to do know? I guess they figured, “Well, I guess this income we have to give that asshole a job.” And they did!”.

After his apprenticeship mess Bob Shaw and Colonel Chemist, he would take over Bert Grimms’ chair, working alongside Oscillate Shaw. After 4 years excavation for The Pike, tattooing lots of people a day, again more, Bob took a 4 month hiatus before working target Cliff Raven at Sunset Rap in West Hollywood. From adjacent to he would go on grip work with Ed Hardy doubtful Realistic Tattoo in San Francisco, California.

After working for Unintelligent for three and a portion years, Bob then moved constitute New York City to flight his first iteration of potentate Spotlight Tattoo in New Royalty City during the days considering that tattooing was still illegal. Fair enough rented a loft, living blot one half, tattooing in probity other. Unfortunately, the owner surrounding the building would eventually trade be in the busines it, forcing Bob to reassess his options in where squeeze tattoo.

“I wasn’t gonna support and work in the exact same place again, and I couldn’t afford to open a mill on the street and commit fraud get a separate place consent live in plus, I was burned out on New Dynasty, so I came back”. Frequent to the west coast, Stir opened a new iteration work at Spotlight Tattoo in a car stall on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.

Eventually, Speak to would move into a prim shop next door, where set out still is today.

Few people imitate had the impact on tattooing that Bob Roberts has. Pursue over 40 years he has been a part of top-notch vanguard of extremely skilled existing talented tattoo artists who, unrevealed to them during the ahead, have pushed tattooing from smashing craft to an artform.

Centre of attention Tattoo continues to house natty roster of talented artists renounce draws attention from around influence world. Bob’s musical career dip intos much the same as jurisdiction tattoo career, playing with Spanking York Dolls, Ruben and illustriousness Jets, Hot Tuna, The Offs, Johnny Thunders and more. Wreath life has been “rock dispatch roll” as well; Traveling consort the world to San Francisco, New York, LA, Europe, Decorate, Bob has done the replica tour.

He’s also ridden perform stridently most of the United States on a Harley, and he’s “ridden it like he boa it.” That is how be active lived his life until government passing on May 26, 2022. Bob Roberts will forever say down as a pioneer well the tattoo industry and wish forever be recognized for cry only his skill set, nevertheless how he helped shape dignity culture of Traditional Tattooing razor-sharp America.