After over 110,000 votes, Charlotte Observer readers chose their favorite tattoo shop
A family-owned tattoo shop — and one of the oldest in Charlotte — is growing along with the industry’s popularity.
The late William “Billy” Thigpen opened Tattoo Bill’s 24 years ago in Steele Creek. Thigpen and son Chris, who was the shop’s piercer, died six months apart in 2019. But anyone walking into the shop can get to know a bit about them.
Apparently, a lot did. Tattoo Bill’s just won The Charlotte Observer’s 2023 Readers’ Choice best tattoo shop contest, in several rounds of voting and over 110,000 votes cast.
We started with 61 shops nominated by you to decide the best tattoo studio in the Charlotte region. Overall, there were 94,697 votes cast. The final run came down to Tattoo Bill’s and From The Ashes Tattoo Studio in Gastonia. Tattoo Bill’s won in the final round 11,759 to 5,409 votes.
Over at Tattoo Bill’s, along with photos of the Thigpen family through the years, a booth memorializes both father and son. And a lone auditorium theater seat near the entrance sits reserved for Bill.
“My dad and brother built a wonderful foundation and we are building around that,” said Frank Thigpen, who runs the studio with his brother Kenny and son Stewart.
And Bill’s bride of 53 years, Sandra Thigpen, helped build the business, too. She is still a big part of the shop.
“She’s the backbone just like my father,” said Kenny Thigpen about his mother.
Bill Thigpen’s red ‘57 Chevy, which still runs, sits parked near the front. “It was the first thing we moved and we built the shop around it,” Kenny Thigpen said.
Three years ago, the tattoo studio nearly doubled its size to 3,500-square-feet, moving from its original 9640 S. Tryon St. location about 1 mile south to 10823 John Price Road. The former Cici’s Pizza restaurant has space for nine tattoo artists, two piercing stations and laser removal services.
Over the past five years, business revenue has increased 20%, said Kenny Thigpen. And pricing — the shop minimum is $80 per tattoo — has remained the same despite rising costs.
As tattoos became more popular, Tattoo Bill’s says it’s customer loyalty like Paul Elkins of Rock Hill that makes the business what it is. Elkins has been coming to Tattoo Bill’s since 2015 to get inked by Jeff Brown, Brown has been a tattoo artist at Tattoo Bill’s for 22 years. The two men played football together at Rock Hill High School.
It also has everything to do with the talented artists at Tattoo Bill’s, too, the Thigpens said. Jasmine Waller has been at Tattoo Bill’s for seven of her 18-year tattoo artist career.
“I was greeted with kindness,” the native of Canada said. “You get the feeling that you’re part of the family.”
Tattoo Bill’s is open noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday by appointments and walk-ins.
About From The Ashes Tattoo Studio
Jonathan Pope has been a tattoo artist for 20 years, including a three-year stint at Tattoo Bill’s, as well as shops in Gastonia and Myrtle Beach. He fulfilled a lifelong dream in January by opening From The Ashes Tattoo Studio in Gaston County’s Lowell area.
He and fellow tattoo artist Marcus Clark share the 800-square-foot space at 4310 Wilkinson Blvd. A part-time artist also has been hired and will be starting soon.
Pope, who knew in high school that he wanted to be a tattoo artist, said the industry has changed through the years, from “flash” tattoos with pre-set images to flip through and pick from, to more custom work.
“It’s no longer pick and stick it. Now, there’s more collaboration between the customer and the artist,” he said. Pope doesn’t have a specialty but rather can do various artwork such as realism, traditional and watercolor, but he most enjoys inking his passions of horror films and video game tats.
Despite a temporary setback last month after the studio was robbed of equipment totaling about $13,500, Pope is focused on his goal: “Putting artwork on people and them being happy with it for years down the road.”
His advice to anyone thinking about getting a tattoo: “Think about it. It is permanent. And investigate the artist, not just the tattoo studio. You need to find someone that you’re comfortable with.”
From The Ashes Tattoo Studio is by appointment only, and currently is booked out nearly two months, Pope said.
Other favorite tattoo shops
The other 14 contenders on the sweet 16 list of top tattoo shops in the Charlotte region, alphabetically, were:
▪ 510 Expert Tattoo & Body Piercing, 510 E. 35th St., Charlotte
▪ Apocalypse Ink Tattoo & Piercing Studio, 664 N. Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis
▪ Black Cloud Tattoo & Piercing, seven locations: 2814 The Plaza, Charlotte; 11025 Carolina Place Pkwy., Charlotte; 2611 Central Ave. Charlotte; 3324 South Blvd., Charlotte; 5404 New Fashion Way, Charlotte; 8111 Concord Mills Blvd., Concord; 116 W. John St., Matthews
▪ Blood, Sweat & Tears Tattoo Studio, 3811 Monroe Road, Charlotte
▪ Capital Crow Tattoo, 1516 Lyon Court, Charlotte
▪ Charlotte Tattoo Company, 1514 Central Ave., Charlotte
▪ Green Light Tattoo, 820 Lamar Ave., Charlotte
▪ Hold True Tattoo, 2514 Central Ave., Charlotte
▪ Iron Ghost Tattoo, 2604 N. Brevard St., Charlotte
▪ Made To Last Tattoo, 129 N. Poplar St., Charlotte
▪ Old Crescent Tattoo Studio, 10037 Weddington Road, Concord
▪ Ruby Tiger Tattoo, 504 W 24th St, Charlotte
▪ Tattoo Me Charlotte, 1440 S. Tryon St., Charlotte
▪ The Lost Sheep Tattoo, 3805 Concord Pkwy. S, Concord
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