Tattoo icon Roy Boy dies at 64 - Famous Tattoo Artists

Tattoo icon Roy Boy dies at 64
July 24, 2010
nwi.com

Gary tattoo icon Roy Boy Cooper died Thursday after suffering from numerous ailments, including liver failure, his family said.
Roy Cooper, 64, began tattooing in 1969 and contributed to the popularity of body art, his son Adam Cooper said.
"He made it cool to have a tattoo," Adam Cooper said.
He said his father tattooed several celebrities during his career, but doing tattoo work for musician Gregg Allman "was a big deal to him."
"He talked about it for years," Adam Cooper said.
He said his dad had a passion for music and played the guitar well.
Roy Cooper's love for tigers also was evident in his Gary tattoo parlor, where he handled the big cats since the 1980s, his son said.
He said his father was devastated in May when officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture confiscated four tigers from the tattoo parlor.
The USDA said the tigers were underweight, lethargic and had skin issues. The animals were taken to a sanctuary.
Adam Cooper said his father didn't expect to live into his 60s, and he thinks losing the tigers may have "sped up the process."
"Tigers were a large part about who he was," he said.
Adam Cooper said his father was unpredictable at times, but he was a friend to many people.
He said Roy Cooper, a father of four sons, had a dry sense of humor and enjoyed pranks.
"He really was an interesting guy," Adam Cooper said.