Red's Tattoos

I'm not a huge fan of tattoos...I don't think I've ever seriously considered getting one...but I don't have a problem with them, and in fact, I am quite impressed with my friend Red's tattoos. They are truly works of art, IMO.



This is the first one he got. He'd planned a "Tribute to American Cultural Icons" and his fondness for Janis Joplin inspired him to get this portrait of her on his right arm.



If memory serves, the second addition to the "American Icons" series was this image of beat poet/author Jack Kerouac. If there's one thing Red is deep into, it's the Beat Generation, and you'll often find him with his nose in a book of Kerouac, Ginsberg or Charles Bukowski. Jack shares arm-space with Janis and:



...a young, Velvet Underground-era Lou Reed, another of Red's lyric writing influences. For a long time Red wouldn't listen to anything but Loaded...then he discovered Hank Williams Sr..



Standing alone on his left arm is the biggest influence on Red's writing and music, the one and only Bobby Zimmerman, looking like he's just arrived at Greenwich Village and is ready to spring something on the world.



The last time I visited the City Red was pretty much out of commission, having added to the legend he's writing about his life of debauchery the night before with a round of heavy drinking. Tonight he was considerably more lively, though he's still a bit rattled from the other night when he lost his pants and a wallet stuffed with 90 bucks at the bar.
You think that's bad...on his birthday he milled about the bar for no less than 30 minutes completely in the nude. To call him a "mischevious free spirit" would be somewhat conservative.

He's the kind of guy who takes you seriously when you jokingly say you're going to take a picture of him as he's sitting on the crapper and encourages you to do it:



So it should come as no surprise that Red has one of these:



Click HERE to listen to Red's own account of his stay in the Oklahoma County Jail... (Update 8/13/10 - the link has been removed. You'll have to take my word for it).

This is seriously funny stuff, but be forewarned, there is some rough language. It was recorded on a cell phone and Red had no idea he was telling the world about what it's like to spend the night in the pokey.

Get to know Red yourself by going to his MySpace PROFILE.