 | This article contains promotional content .(July 2016) |
Greg James is a well-known tattoo artist. [1] Greg's tattoo designs and original artwork have appeared in magazines, books, documentaries, and at the Hard Rock Cafe.
| This article contains promotional content .(July 2016) |
Greg James is a well-known tattoo artist. [1] Greg's tattoo designs and original artwork have appeared in magazines, books, documentaries, and at the Hard Rock Cafe.
At the age of fourteen, Greg began drawing flash for his brother, Tennessee Dave, and eventually apprenticed with him in 1976. [2] From single-needle black-and-gray work to classic Americana tattoos and ultimately the large, custom Japanese artwork for which he has become well-known, Greg tattooed continuously in Los Angeles (on Main Street in downtown L.A. and also the Pike, in Long Beach) for nine years as he continued to hone his craft. [1]
"I wanted to do superlative work. So, I made a choice. I would either quit tattooing or try to get in with Cliff Raven at Sunset Strip Tattoo. Cliff hired me. That's the beginning of the story." [1]
In 1985, Greg joined Sunset Strip Tattoo in Hollywood. Originally opened by Lyle Tuttle in the 1960s, the shop was then owned by Cliff Raven and subsequently Robert Benedetti, pioneers and innovators in the Japanese style of tattooing.
For over twenty-five years, Greg played a large part in building the stature of the legendary studio, becoming "the real star at Sunset … the tattoo artist's tattooer." [3]
During his almost forty-year career, Greg has also apprenticed numerous other tattoo artists, including Chris Clemence of Montauk Tattoo, [4] Eric Blair [5] of Subculture Tattoo and Dollar Bill of Sunset Strip Tattoo.
In September 2012, Greg opened his own tattoo studio, Tattoos Deluxe, in Sherman Oaks, CA (formerly Subculture Tattoo). [22] Over time, Greg has emerged as a thoughtful and moderate spokesman for tattooing. [23] Despite being at the top of the industry and known worldwide, [1] [3] Greg has also earned a reputation as "a genuinely nice guy", [11] [24] "quiet, modest and understated", [25] "…one of the nicest people I've ever met, and his work is truly amazing." [10]
Of tattooing, Greg says that "So much of what we do is really a personal thing between two people. It's not about the art so much, or the craft, or being the cool guy." [26] "Tattooing to me is like welding. You have to lay the lines down. You're using tools. It [the tattoo] should look like it's always been there. Like it's part of your body." [27] "You know, the average person today thinks tattoo artists nowadays are rock stars. But we go through a lot. We really put a lot effort, time, and communication into what we do. And it's permanent. You can't tear it up and throw it away when you're done with it. All these tattoos that I've done for thirty years--I carry those around in my head with me." [28]
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Hollywood, California, in 1981 by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, with guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Vince Neil joining right after. The band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. They have also achieved seven platinum or multi-platinum certifications, nine Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, twenty-two Top 40 mainstream rock hits, and six Top 20 pop singles.
Thomas Lee is an American musician who co-founded and plays drums for the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. He also founded rap metal band Methods of Mayhem and has pursued solo musical projects.
Nikki Sixx is an American musician, best known as the co-founder, bassist, and primary songwriter of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, being the only member to remain throughout their entire history. Prior to forming Mötley Crüe, Sixx was a member of Sister before going on to form London with his Sister bandmate Lizzie Grey. In 2000, he formed side project group 58 with Dave Darling, Steve Gibb and Bucket Baker, issuing one album, Diet for a New America. Also in 2002, he formed the hard rock supergroup Brides of Destruction with L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns. Formed in 2006, initially to record an audio accompaniment to Sixx's autobiography The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star, his side band Sixx:A.M. featured songwriter, producer, and vocalist James Michael and guitarist DJ Ashba.
Vincent Neil Wharton is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, which he fronted from their 1981 formation until his departure in 1992. Neil reunited with the band in 1996 and continued with them until the band's 2015 retirement, and again from the band's 2018 reunion onwards. Outside of Mötley Crüe, Neil has also released three studio albums as a solo artist – the most recent of which, Tattoos & Tequila, was released in 2010.
Robert Alan Deal, known professionally as Mick Mars, is an American musician best known as the former lead guitarist and co-founder of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. He is known for his aggressive, melodic solos and bluesy riffs.
Brides of Destruction was an American hard rock supergroup from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2002. The band's last lineup consisted of singer London LeGrand (vocals), Tracii Guns and Scot Coogan. Previous members of the band were Nikki Sixx (bass), Kris Kohls (drums), Adam Hamilton (keyboard), John Corabi, Scott Sorry (bass) and Ginger.
Mötley Crüe is the sixth studio album by heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. It was released on March 15, 1994. It was the band's only album released with singer John Corabi, and was the first album of new material released by the band since their 1989 album, Dr. Feelgood.
Generation Swine is the seventh studio album by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, released on June 24, 1997. The album marks the return of lead singer Vince Neil following his last appearance on 1991's Decade of Decadence and the last to feature drummer Tommy Lee until the 2008 album Saints of Los Angeles. It is also the band's last album to be released on Elektra Records. The album's name as well as the title track is derived from Generation of Swine by Hunter S. Thompson.
John Corabi is an American hard rock singer and guitarist. He was the frontman of The Scream during 1989 and the frontman of Mötley Crüe between 1992 and 1996 during original frontman Vince Neil's hiatus from the band.
Randolpho Francisco Castillo was an American musician. He was Ozzy Osbourne's drummer during the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, and later as drummer for Mötley Crüe, from 1999 to his death in 2002.
Here Come the Brides is the debut album by Brides of Destruction released via Sanctuary Records on March 9, 2004. It is their most successful album being the only one to have a charting on the Billboard 200, it is also the only album that features bassist Nikki Sixx who would leave the band to rejoin Mötley Crüe for their reunion tour in 2005, and also the only album to feature John Corabi. The album's only single, "Shut The Fuck Up" failed to chart due to little airplay. "Only Get So Far" was originally written by Nikki Sixx for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.
Gregory Jay Leon is an American guitarist best known for his involvement with American heavy metal bands Quiet Riot and Dokken. He was also involved in the early formation of Mötley Crüe along with drummer Tommy Lee.
Katherine von Drachenberg, known professionally as Kat Von D, is a Mexican-born American tattoo artist, television personality, entrepreneur and recording artist. She is best known for her work as a tattoo artist on the TLC reality television show LA Ink, which premiered in the United States on August 7, 2007, and ran for four seasons. She is also known for being the former head of Kat Von D Beauty. In May 2021, Kat Von D released her first single "Exorcism" from her album Love Made Me Do It. Her second studio album, My Side of the Mountain, was released in 2024.
"Girls, Girls, Girls" is a single by American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. It is the first single from the album of the same name, and was released on May 13, 1987.
Heads Will Roll EP is Marion Raven's first EP that was released on October 31, 2006. All of the songs were written by Raven in collaboration with numerous artists including Nikki Sixx, Scott Stevens and Freddy Herrera, Keith Nelson and Xavier Muriel (Buckcherry), and Raine Maida. The EP was made available for downloading from iTunes while the hard copy was exclusively released in the US. In Raven's own words, the tracks on the EP are fun rock songs that are meant for jumping around to.
Daren Jay Ashba is an American musician, guitarist, songwriter, record producer, and graphic designer. He was the lead guitarist of Sixx:A.M. He is also known for his work with hard rock bands BulletBoys, Beautiful Creatures and Guns N' Roses. He has worked with various artists including Mötley Crüe, Drowning Pool, Marion Raven, Aimee Allen and Neil Diamond. He is the CEO of Ashba Media.
Music to Crash Your Car To: Vol. II is the second box set by the American glam metal band Mötley Crüe. It collects the albums Dr. Feelgood and Mötley Crüe, the EP Quaternary, and the compilations Decade of Decadence 81-91 and Supersonic and Demonic Relics.
Saints of Los Angeles is the ninth and final studio album by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, released on June 24, 2008, by Mötley Records and Eleven Seven Music. This was the only full-length studio album with the band's original lineup since 1997's Generation Swine, following the return of drummer Tommy Lee, the last to feature guitarist Mick Mars before his dismissal from Mötley Crüe in 2022, and the last before their initial dissolution in 2015. Following its release, the band has avoided releasing any further albums in favor of releasing singles.
Paul Patterson Timman is an American tattoo artist and award winning dinnerware designer. Paul's tribal designs, hand painted tattoo work in movies and celebrity clients have made him one of the "giants in the industry" called the 'Rembrandt of Sunset Strip' by the Wall Street Journal. Timman's work has been featured in tattoo magazines in the USA and internationally including: Inked (magazine), Tattoo Magazine, and Skin Art.
Tattoos & Tequila is the third and most recent solo studio album by Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil. It is his first solo release in 7 years since the live album Live at the Whisky: One Night Only in 2003 and first solo studio album in 15 years since 1995's Carved in Stone. It is his first release on Eleven Seven Music.
