It’s easy to get pigeonholed in the music biz, and the wrong kind of image can prevent an artist from bringing in a new audience. Rather than work at actually creating a solid piece of music that might appeal to another genre, it’s much easier to just get some expensive tattoo work and hope to blend in.
Could a full sleeve work for Clay Aiken? Would some neck ink finally give Michael Bolton some street cred? These are questions that only a tattoo gun can answer, but we’re betting the five musicians below might actually benefit from the Ink Master’s needle.
To celebrate the New Season of Ink Master, back on Tuesdays at 10/9c on Spike, the show is sponsoring “Tattoo Bracket 2014.” Vote on your favorite tattoos for your chance to win a trip for 2 to SXSW. Vote here.
Billy Joel
Billy Joel might like to think of himself as the Piano Man, but Elton John has always had way more flare than Billy. There’s a solution for that though, and it’s as simple as $5,000 worth of tattoo work. Because full sleeve tattoos top goofy sunglasses any day of the week.
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow has had one of the most successful career’s in pop music, he couldn’t possibly benefit from getting inked up now, right? Wrong! Barry may have the casinos of Vegas at his beck and call, but what about the biker circuit? It’s about time somebody came in and took back Myrtle Beach and Daytona Bike Week from those second-rate Lynyrd Skynyrd impostors. A leather vest, some bad-ass ink and a title change of “Could It Be Magic” to “Could It Be Budweiser” and Barry’s got himself an entirely new market.
Clay Aiken
Clay Aiken has announced that he’s running for Congress in North Carolina, and while tattooing 70% of one’s body might seem like a bad campaign idea, in Aiken’s case it could work for him. Aiken is going to want to focus on North Carolina’s young voters and what do young people like? Duh, tattoos. Especially ones that were done recklessly with a YOLO attitude — just look at the popularity of Chris Brown and Justin Bieber. Put a few shirtless pics of Aiken’s new ink on Instagram and boom! Nobody will even be talking about the competition.
Taylor Swift
Taylor’s a good girl, almost too good. A tasteful pentagram tattoo would help give Taylor some edge without dragging her down to the Miley and Rihanna gutter of shame. Next to taking a cue from Loretta Lynn and sending Carrie Underwood on a trip to Fist City, a neck tat is the best way for Taylor to add some outlaw appeal to her image.
Michael Bolton
For decades Michael Bolton has been a punching bag for anything that isn’t adult contemporary radio. It’s an unfortunate fate that could still be altered with some nice hand and neck tats. Morning shock jocks won’t be so quick to mock when Michael Bolton comes into the the studio looking like a recent parolee from Folsom Prison.
