My name is James, but in the tattoo and music worlds, most people know me as Jimmy Jam. I’ve been tattooing for just under 17 years. I’ve been playing music since I was about eight years old and making art for as long as I can remember.
As a tattooer, I’ve done countless music-related tattoos over the years. Band logos, portraits of favorite artists, lyrics, instruments, you name it. Every one of those tattoos was a tribute to a song, an album, or a moment that shaped someone’s life. For many, music is so powerful that they don’t just want to listen to it, they want to wear it forever.
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And as a touring musician, I’ve seen the same connection from the other side. At shows, tattoos are everywhere. They’re not just body art, they’re part of the culture, a badge of identity. Even though my personal discovery and outlet was through punk and rockabilly, it’s definitely not exclusive to those genres. Nowadays you can find tattoos all over the bodies and even faces of artists in pop, rap, and even country. The overlap between music and tattoos is everywhere, and it has only grown stronger over the years.
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For me, music and tattooing have always been two sides of the same coin, different ways of expressing the same restless creativity. I got my first tattoo when I was around 15 or 16 years old. It was a pin-up girl playing a coffin-shaped upright bass. At the time, that design wasn’t random. It represented a life-changing opportunity. I had been asked to design a website for one of my favorite bands from Denmark. In return, my band was invited to join them on our very first U.S. tour. That tattoo was a symbol of where music was already starting to take me, a reminder that art and music could open doors to opportunities much bigger than I ever imagined. From there, touring took me to nearly all 50 states and about 20 different countries, each trip stamping itself into my memory like another tattoo.
Tattooing came into my life a few years later, almost by fate. The same artist who had done my first tattoo, a family friend who had tattooed my older sisters, recognized something in my art. He noticed the way I drew, the kind of imagery I was attracted to, and how naturally it leaned toward tattoo design. He offered to teach me the craft, something I thought I could never have asked for but knew I couldn’t pass up. At that point, I was still touring about seven months out of the year, so carving out the time was tough. But eventually the road slowed down, and I dove in. He taught me the fundamentals, and I jumped headfirst into practicing by calling up friends and asking anyone I knew to let me tattoo them. It was intimidating, but also thrilling, and I quickly realized tattooing was going to be just as important in my life as music.
Now, let’s answer the big question: do tattoos and music go together? To me, the answer is obvious. You’d have to be out of your mind to think otherwise. Both are creative forms of self-expression that can come from a deeply personal place. Both connect to memory, identity, and emotion. Both leave a permanent mark, tattoos on your skin and music on your soul.
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So, do tattoos and music go together?
Absolutely. They’ve always been intertwined in my life, and in the lives of so many others. Tattoos can give music a visual form, a lasting presence beyond the stage or the speakers. Music, in turn, can permanently give tattoos a soundtrack, a rhythm and an emotion.
Do the math, and the answer is clear: tattoos and music will always belong together.
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Guest writer James White (aka Jimmy Jam) is a tattooer at Dreamland Tattoo in Whittier, CA. He’s known for his bold traditional tattoos and “celebrity” kewpies. When not tattooing, he can be found playing bass for California ska/punk band Left Alone or jibber-jabbering as one-half of the podcast Tattoo Budcast. Be sure to follow him on Instagram @iamjimmyjam.