Randy Adams the Texas Kid

Randy Adams was born in Texas and grew up between there and New Mexico. Randy was fascinated by tattoos as a kid and tattooed his name on himself at 14. As a kid growing up, his family moved around a lot. So it must have been inevitable that when Randy was about 20 years old and working at renting trailers, the Carnival came through town and he went with them when they pulled out. He started out running a funhouse and house of mirrors with a partner, until he ultimately ran his own attractions. Randy was running a snake show when he stopped in and got his first tattoo by John Stucky. Randy had painted all the custom murals and lettering on his and other amusements with the Carnival show. He had been drawing since grade school and tattoos were appealing to him.
After one carnival stop in Denver, Randy found himself in a Tattoo shop watching Denver Don put on an intricate butterfly on a young woman. He admired the beauty and color and Randy was smitten with tattoo fever. It was a rough start but eventually Randy got Don to warm up to him and in the winter of 1973 he started his apprenticeship.

Gas prices and times were taking their toll on the traveling shows and Randy decided he was ready to settle stakes and opened Tattoos by Randy in 1974. His first winter was a stark introduction to the business, but Randy, undeterred, worked steadfast on his art and business. Randy continued to add to his own tattoos by seeking out those artists that could add to his knowledge and artistic direction. He credits, both, Zeke Owens and Don Ed Hardy, particularly, for tattooing him and imparting many valuable lessons. Randy admired and befriended Greg Irons but he was killed before they started their planned collaboration.
Randy established himself in Ft Worth as the go to artist for quality work and soon his shop was a stopping spot to notables as Crazy Ace, Mr Tramp and Gill Montie. In the late 70s and throughout the 80s, Randy, the Texas Kid, could be found tattooing at Daytona Bike Week, Sturgis Rally and all across the burgeoning Tattoo Convention Circuit. He won beacoup awards and tattoo contests at many of these and was voted best Tattoo Artist of 1985 at the National Convention in New Orleans.

I met Randy and was first tattooed by him in 1979. I told him I had been dabbling at tattooing and he didn’t hold that against me. We became friends primarily through our motorcycle friends and activities. I interviewed him once for a motorcycle tabloid I was working for and Randy saw some of my artwork and he knew of my inclination for a tattoo career. I would stop in to visit from time to time and he was generous with his knowledge to me and I was very aware that I was getting some closely guarded tidbits. A few years later on the early convention circuit, I got a few more tattoos from Randy and after I opened my shop, Randy and I shared tattoo booths at several conventions.



Randys work won him numerous awards and features in many magazines - Randy Adams was a hot comodity everywhere he went. Besides the many photo and tattoo articles he was featured in, Randy was a litural poster boy for modern tattooing, appearing on the cover of many of the Tattoo magazines of the day. Popularity not being the focus of his intentions, Randy has spent the last 25 years of his career further honing and refining his own skills and forging a solid business with steady and loyal clientele and an impeccable reputation. He has a close relationship with his artists and his easygoing managerial style further endears them to him and the work environment. Randys Tattoo studio has migrated a very few miles since its opening but never strayed from his beginnings of being real people and working with real people and having ethics and pride in his work. His staff is high quality and professional. Randy has always run a tight ship.