Fans who want to show their devotion to Axl and his band have gotten replica tattoos on their own bodies, some fans even going so far as to idolize him by getting tattoos of his face and body on themselves.

Though most rock stars have bodies covered in tattoos, it seems that Axl Rose only got a few tattoos on his arms and left it at that.  They are all large and colorful, and symbols of his personal beliefs as well as his work in the band Guns N’ Roses.

Rockin’ Arm Tattoos

Both of Axl Rose’s arms are the platform on which his tattoos are displayed proudly.  His arms are the only part of his body that have gotten any ink.  Other rockers, including the guitarist for Guns N’ Roses, Slash, usually have many more tattoos all over their bodies.  It seems that Axl decided to keep it simple instead.

Axl’s right arm has three large tattoos, starting from the shoulder and going down the front of his arm.  His right shoulder has a large blue rose that has a banner beneath it that reads “W. Axl Rose,” which stands for his name, since his birth name is William.  A woman named Gina, one of many women with whom Axl has been involved throughout the years, claimed that she bought him that tattoo for his birthday.

Underneath that tattoo, he has a tattoo of a woman’s face.  She has long black hair, red lips, and golden earrings and is reminiscent of the style of the women of the ’80s who became fans of Axl’s music and of Axl himself.  In terms of color, this tattoo is the one that displays the least amount of it, as Axl’s other tattoos are all quite bright and colorful.

And finally, down his right forearm is the Guns N’ Roses cross with a banner above it, which is the “Appetite for Destruction” logo.  That design was used on the band’s debut studio album.  Through the years, Axl has of course aged, and some claim that this tattoo has also aged, showing faded colors and less detail these days.

Axl also has a couple tattoos on his left arm.  On his left shoulder, he has a banner with the word “rocker” in it, and beneath it is what appears to be a heart with wings flowing downward.

Beneath that tattoo, he has a U.S. Army Emblem inked onto his bicep, with the words “Victory or Death” in a banner underneath the symbol.  The image is of a yellow shield with a diagonal red line going down it.

Too Many Tattoos to Count

Jodie Marsh has so many tattoos that it is sometimes difficult to keep count, but estimates show that she probably has over 70 tattoos!  As you can imagine, it is quite hard to keep track of the various works of art on her body.  And we don’t see her stopping anytime soon, as she seems to love getting tattoos and showing them off.

Jodie has gotten some tattoos that have meaning to her and others that seem outright meaningless.  Some examples are the faces of Michael Jackson, Buddy Holly, and Chuck Berry, who are all individuals who have perhaps influenced her in some way and of whom she apparently became a very big fan.  They are now permanently inked onto her arms.

In addition to faces of celebrities on her body, she also has more sentimental tattoos, including the name “Kim,” in remembrance of her late best friend, proving that her life has been inspired by people from those in the media to those in her own personal world.  She also loves her pets, as evidenced by the name of her late dog, Pixie, which is also found near the name Kim on the back of her neck.

Jodie’s left shoulder and shoulder blade are covered in various tattoos, including leopard prints that extend from her shoulder and down into her mid-back.  Other tattoos in that area are smaller and some are harder to make out, including a burning candle and a chicken.

One of Jodie’s most outrageous tattoos is a devil’s tail coming out of her butt cheeks.  She actually got that tattoo when fans picked it out for her through Bizarre Magazine.

In addition, she also has some Celtic symbols and bows as well as the word “porn” with a star drawn next to it – translating to “porn star,” clearly – on her lower back.  Her lower back also has the word “cheekie,” which was her very first tattoo.

Jodie loves mottos, and she lives by many of them, so she decided to have some tattooed onto her body as reminders of who she is and wants to be.  Some examples include the phrases “My Crazy Life,” “Life’s Too Short,” and “Only God Can Judge Me,” which are all found on her arms.

Down Jodie’s left shoulder is an obvious and fairly large tattoo of a pinup girl posing in a bra, panties, and thigh-high stockings.  Various smaller tattoos surround this one as well, including a clothes hanger and a pair of dice.

Other tattoos on Jodie include a pair of stilettos she herself wore while a dancer at Stringfellows, rosary beads on her right wrist, a red lipstick tattoo on her neck, a feather underneath the tattoo of Michael Jackson’s face, and many others that seem to form a sleeve’s worth of coverage down her left shoulder and arm.

Cher has gotten tattoos at various times in her life to symbolize what she was going through, such as when she felt very independent after her split from Sonny Bono and decided to get ink, which she claims was like a badge for her.  When Cher first started getting tattoos, it wasn’t as mainstream as it is today.  Mainly bad girls and rockers got tattoos, so Cher definitely stood out from the crowd by getting ink.  She has publicly stated that she just loves tattoos and loves getting them.  She has even had some of her tattoos for 20 years.

Tattoos Everywhere

Cher has a tattoo on a body part that most people don’t think of tattooing: her derriere.  The tattoo features flowers and a butterfly and it is quite large, covering most of her buttocks area.  Though you would think that a tattoo in that area would not be very visible, when it comes to Cher, it actually is.  Her concert and music video costumes often show off her body, including her behind, and so you can catch a glimpse of the elaborate artwork there.

In addition to her buttocks tattoo, Cher also has a tattoo of a black orchid strategically placed below her panty line above her right thigh.  Another large tattoo that has been inked across her upper chest is a drawing of a necklace with large charms hanging down from it.  Also, on her ankle, Cher has a black flower tattooed.

A Kanji symbol that means “strength” was inked onto Cher’s right shoulder.  On her left shoulder, she has a large flowing chain with an Egyptian ankh at the end and two other charms hanging from it, a cross and a heart.  And on the underside of her right arm, she has some Art Deco crystals tattooed.

Easy Come Easy Go

Cher has been getting tattoos for many years, but not all of them survive.  She has been using laser removal on and off to get rid of tattoos she no longer wants on her body, while continuing to get new ones.  Because the process of getting tattoos removed is so time-consuming, we will have to wait and see which tattoos disappear and which end up staying on the star’s body.

Nonetheless, if Cher gets her tattoos removed, countless fans have gotten tattoos in dedication to her on their own bodies, whether they were replica tattoos that Cher herself had at some point, or custom tattoos to show respect for the artist, those tattoos will certainly live on.

Keith isn’t one of those guys that gets tattoos simply for the sake of getting tattoos.  Instead, he makes sure that every tattoo is symbolic to him in some way or another.  Whether it is a reminder to be strong or a symbol of his life experiences, each piece of art has meaning behind it and there is a reason it is there.

Symbolic Birds

Keith says his first tattoo was a gift to himself on his 24^th birthday.  He decided to get a tattoo of an eagle on his right shoulder blade because he was in America at the time and he felt very free, being single and working on his musical career.

Another tattoo that features a bird is seen prominently down the inside of Keith’s left forearm.  As you can imagine, it is especially visible when he is rocking out on his guitar.  This tattoo is of a phoenix, the mythological creature with which Keith can relate.  Keith says he loves the symbolism behind the story of the phoenix, which burns in fire after being defeated by its challenges yet later manages to rise again from the ashes, stronger than ever before.  Keith says he has had his own challenges in life, and he feels that what does not kill you just makes you stronger.  It is a lesson he can be reminded of every time he gazes down at his arm.

Love Tattoos

Keith doesn’t only have tattoos of birds.  He also has a very sentimental tattoo that is located on his right bicep.  This tattoo features the name Nicole in a banner, along with hearts, and he refers to it lovingly as his “Nicole” tattoo in reference to wife, actress Nicole Kidman.

A second tattoo in honor of Nicole is featured on his right wrist.  It is a Celtic band with the initials “NMK,” for Nicole Mary Kidman.  And it is no surprise that he would dedicate ink to his wife, as he has stated that she was the one that helped him get through some very difficult and tough times in his life.  This Celtic tattoo was used to cover up another tattoo that was there which he had gotten while in a relationship with Niki Taylor (she had also gotten a matching one).  That old tattoo was simply the Latin phrase, “Omni Vincit Amor,” which translates to “Love Conquers All,” but he wanted to get rid of it because he had moved on from Niki and was now married to Nicole.

Though Brad Pitt has had temporary tattoos drawn on his body for certain movie roles, he does indeed have some very real tattoos of his own that he has acquired over the last few years.  It is clear that Angelina Jolie has gotten many tattoos on her body over the years, and it seems that Brad has also developed an interest in tattoo art thanks to his relationship with her.

The Meanings Behind the Strangeness

Some of Brad Pitt’s tattoos are pretty straightforward in terms of their meaning, especially if you know anything about his personal life and interests.

Brad has a fairly simple tattoo written onto his left forearm, closer to his elbow.  In black lettering are the words “Absurdites de l’existence,” a French phrase translating to “absurdities of life,” or perhaps simply “life is absurd.”  Considering everything Brad Pitt has been through and has been exposed to, as well as the various characters he has had to play, this phrase probably means a lot to him and perhaps he wanted to always remind himself to live life to the fullest and not take it too seriously.

Next to his “Absurdites de l’existence” tattoo is an outline drawing of Otzi, also known as the Iceman.  In 1991, archaeologists found and identified a frozen body in an Italian glacier.  They figured that the man was probably around 5,300 years old, making him the oldest human mummy ever found in Europe.  Perhaps Brad chose to locate this tattoo next to the “life is absurd” tattoo because Otzi was such a strange and interesting find, unlike any other that had come before it, proving that life is most certainly unpredictable.

In a very romantic gesture, Brad tattooed Angelina Jolie’s birthday on his stomach.  It is written in Khmer, the official language of Cambodia, the country from which she adopted her first child.  Her birthday is June 4, 1975, and the tattoo is written in numbers, 6-4-1975.

Brad also has a large tattoo on his lower back.  It is a map of the levee system in New Orleans, though it looks like a bunch of lines without meaning spanning across his back.  The reason for the tattoo is the connection that he feels towards the city and the people.  After Hurricane Katrina destroyed the levees and the city, Brad and Angelina bought a home there and have been very active in helping to rebuild the city.  So it is no surprise that he would get a tattoo on his body that symbolizes a place that is so important to him and his family and so close to his heart.

A Series of Random Tattoos

Some of Pete Doherty’s tattoos are easily seen and identified, while there are others that are certainly there but far too small to be able to make out exactly what they are supposed to be or what they are meant to say.

Pete Doherty loves to tattoo meaningful words, names, and phrases all over his body.  Most of these tattoos are quite small, but if you look closely enough, you will be able to read them and perhaps be able to get a hint as to their meaning.  He does have a prominent neck tattoo of his son’s name, Estile, but some will say it is actually spelled out differently, as “Astile.”  On the right side of Pete’s chest are the words “Baby Shambles,” in tribute to his musical project.  And on his left forearm, Pete had the phrase “Up the morning” inked.

But Pete Doherty’s tattoos aren’t just words and phrases; some artwork certainly adorns his body, too.  A heart with a bow going through it was tattooed onto his left shoulder, which apparently also featured the letter “K” in reference to Kate Moss, his ex-girlfriend.  In addition, a mermaid can be found spanning most of the length of his right forearm, and a skull and crossbones is found on the inside of his left forearm.

A Tattoo on His Behind

In 2009, Pete Doherty went in for yet another tattoo, but this time he wanted it to be strategically placed on his behind.  He wanted the word “Wasteland” tattooed there, both as a tribute to the title of his favorite poem by writer T.S. Eliot and as a reference to his solo album entitled “Grace/Wastelands.”

However, despite Pete having acquired so many tattoos on various parts of his body through the years, apparently he could not seem to withstand the pain of the needle on his rear, so he stopped the tattoo artist about halfway through the procedure.  As a result, he now has a tattoo that reads “Waste” on his butt.

Removing a Piece of the Past

After his split with Kate Moss, Pete started seeing photos surface of her with other men, and he simply could not stand it, so he decided that the tattoo on his shoulder of the heart and bow would be removed using laser treatment.  In this way, he would finally be letting go of all ties he once had to Kate and fully move on from her.

As her appearance has changed from the time she starred in the reality series “The Osbournes,” Kelly has lost weight, cleaned up her image, and begun working regularly in television.  And as part of cleaning up her image, she also has decided that most of the 15 tattoos she had acquired over the years will be removed using laser surgery.  Though the procedure will be painful and will take a lot of time, she is ready to take the leap.  Her reason for removing most of the images is that they are meaningless to her, and she is not quite sure why she got certain tattoos in her younger years, aside from the fact that it was part of her rebellious attitude.

Most Will Go, Some Will Stay

Kelly’s first tattoo was one that she got while filming “The Osbournes” reality series.  It is a small pink heart tattooed on her hip.  She went ahead and got a small heart tattooed to one of her fingers as well.  And in keeping with the small tattoos, she also has one of a star on the back of her neck.

One of the tattoos Kelly definitely plans on removing is an image of a keyboard because she doesn’t even know how to play piano, so it was one of those tattoos that she foolishly decided to get simply for the sake of getting it because of the ‘80s phase she was going through.  A heart and crossbones found on her wrist is a second tattoo that she is set on getting rid of.

One tattoo that she will definitely keep is one that features the name, Jack, who is her brother.  He has a tattoo of her name as well.  Therefore, it is clear why Kelly would decide to not have that one removed.

On Kelly’s back, there is a fairly large tattoo that spreads across her shoulder blades.  In French, a phrase that roughly translates to “I love my Mom,” is bordered by two pink angel wings on either side.

Kelly also has an anchor tattooed onto her left forearm, and a lock and key with the word “Daddy,” paying tribute to her father, adorns the inside of that arm.

On the top of each of Kelly’s feet is a skull and crossbones.  These tattoos are easily seen whenever Kelly wears a pair of dress shoes.

Moving On From Her Past

Kelly plans on removing those tattoos that don’t really carry any significant meaning for her anymore.  Some of them are painful reminders of her past as a teenager struggling against authority and even getting into substance abuse.  Now that she has moved on from her painful past, she no longer wants to see the tattoos that came about as a result of irresponsible behavior.  When they are covered by makeup, she doesn’t miss them at all, and that is just another clear indication that she is ready to have them removed.

Nicole apparently has a combination of nine artsy images and words tattooed onto her petite body.  And each one is different and has a symbolic meaning for the young socialite best known for her reality show with Paris Hilton, “A Simple Life.”

Nicole’s Nine Tattoos

On the back of her neck, Nicole has a tattoo of her last name, “Richie,” along with the image of a red ribbon tied in a bow above it.  Perhaps she decided to ink that name onto her body as a symbol of her being adopted and raised by Lionel and Brenda Richie, even though she still stays in touch with her biological mother.

Moving now to her back, Nicole had two small angel wings inked on her shoulder blades.  Colored in an autumnal combination of orange and red, the wings are detailed with layers of feathers and their small size are a great match for her small frame.

On Nicole’s abdomen is a pair of ballerina slippers, which recognize the song that her father, Lionel Richie, wrote for her when she was a child.  Also, on the side of her left hip, Nicole has a small tiara, which is visible while she is spending time at the beach in a bikini.

Nicole also has a tattoo adorning each of her wrists.  Because her astrological sign is Virgo, she has the word “Virgin” tattooed onto her left wrist in a feminine looking font.  And on her right wrist, Nicole has a tattoo of a red shooting star, which is a tattoo that matches those of her two good friends, the late singer Aaliyah and her friend Kidada Jones.

On her lower back, there is a cross.  And finally, on her left foot and ankle is a rosary, which drapes around her ankle and down her foot, with the cross hanging down onto the top of her foot.

Her ninth tattoo is thanks to her fooling around with a tattoo gun at a friend’s tattoo parlor.  One of her fingers, as a result of accidentally dropping the gun, has a spray of dots, but no one is sure what finger was inked.

Her Life In Tattoos

A part of Nicole’s life can be found in each of her tattoos, whether it is the word “Richie” that represents who raised her and helped give her the celebrity status she enjoys today, the ballerina slippers that are a remembrance of the song written for her, the star she shares with friends, or the religious symbols in the form of crosses and rosary beads, each tattoo reveals a little something more about Nicole and her life.

Variety is the Spice of Life Even When it Comes to Tattoos

Slash has a variety of different tattoos all over his body, and each tattoo that can be found on him represents something unique and meaningful to him.  He apparently even sketched his own tattoos, thanks to his innate talent for drawing.

On Slash’s right bicep, he has a tattoo of a caricature of himself in a red shirt holding a rose in his teeth.  His signature thick, long black hair covers the eyes, and the word “Slash” is tattooed underneath the image.

In tribute to his current band, Velvet Revolver, Slash has a tattoo inked onto the underside of his right forearm.  The image is a silhouette of a woman that is also the cover of the band’s album titled “Contraband.”  The woman is drawn with a gun holster on her leg.  It’s an image involving a little bit of sex appeal combined with power, kind of like Slash himself.

On the back of Slash’s left shoulder is yet another tattoo.  This one is often referred to as the “snakepit tattoo” because it is the logo of yet another one of his musical projects, a band called Slash’s Snakepit.

Slash pays tribute to the band that made him famous and who he is today, Guns ‘N Roses, on his left bicep.  There, imagery associated with the band, namely a skull wearing a top hat surrounded by roses, can be found.  The image also includes the letters “D.T.U.D.”, which represent “drink till you drop.”  And beneath those letters are the words “Forever Until.”

He also had his son’s name, London, tattooed on his lower back, and his other son’s name, Cash, was inked onto his upper abdomen.  Further paying tribute to his family, his wife’s name, Perla, is permanently found on his left forearm, adorned with a rose.

And Slash loves his cigarettes, which are displayed on a couple of his tattoos, including one of a pair of lips with a cigarette in them on his right shoulder, and a top hat-wearing cat smoking a cigarette on the lower right side of his abdomen.

Meanings Behind the Ink

As you can tell, Slash’s tattoos are not just meaningless empty images strewn all over his body.  Rather, each is a representation of a unique time in his life, his various musical projects, and the most important people to him.  Clearly, he has taken the time to really think about what he wanted permanently inked onto his body, and most of his tattoos are found in places, like his arms and shoulders, that are exposed so that fans can see the artwork and even mimic some of them for their own tattoos.

Foreign Language Tattoos

Some people take it a step further and get a statement tattooed on their bodies that is written in a foreign language.  There must be something about having a phrase filled with cultural undertones inked on your body.  Onlookers need to ask what it says, what it signifies, and you can prove your knowledge of the world by reading the phrase in its native language before translating it.  This must be what Hayden Panettier’s intent was when she got an Italian phrase inked down the left side of her back.

The “Heroes” starlet thought she was getting a tattoo with impact, with great meaning, with insight.  Her intention was to be inked with a charismatic phrase written in one of the world’s most beautiful languages.  Instead, she got an extra letter and a whole lot of press photos of her back, with the media mocking her decision.  So much for showing off her tattoo with open-back dresses.

Misspelling Ruins Meaningful Tattoo

Unfortunately, Hayden should have maybe checked with Rosetta Stone before making the commitment to have the words, “Live without regrets” in Italian flowing down her back because, though the words are spelled “Vivere sensa rimpianti,” her back reads “Vivere senza rimipianti.”  See the extra letter “i”?  It is sort of ironic how her tattoo, reminding her to leave the past behind her and live without regrets, would be seen by most as a regret in and of itself, due to it being misspelled.  Instead, Hayden is holding her head up high, and not letting a little mistake like an extra letter ruin what could be an inspiring message for her fans and for herself every time she looks at her back in the mirror.

A Positive Reaction to a Mistake

Hayden got the tattoo to remember that everyone deals with disappointments in life, and that everyone falls down but you need to pick yourself up.  And she is living up to her motto of not living with regrets, even when it comes to her permanent tattoo.  She reacted by jokingly saying that if you get a tattoo in a foreign language, you just shouldn’t visit that country or anyplace where that language would be spoken.  But, more importantly, she realizes the mistake and is keeping it just the way it is, at least for now.  Being that it is placed on her back, she can rest assured that she won’t have to see it all the time, and she can forget about the misspelling.  So, despite everyone talking about it, Hayden recognizes that it was a mistake, but instead of regretting it, she is going to live with it and do just as it says, “live without regrets.”