Lyle Tuttle touched the hearts of people all over the world with his sense of humor, his love of life, and creative soul. Lyle had been tattooing since 1949, giving him nearly 70 years in the industry. He owned a successful tattoo studio for over 30 years in San Francisco.
Often referred to as "The Father of Modern Tattooing" he tattooed major musical influences such as Janis Joplin, The Allman Brothers, and Cher. In his early career, he learned under Bert Grimm. (more about Janis Joplins tattoo here: Janis Joplin Tattoo)
His achievements as an artist earned him a cover on The Rolling Stones in the year 1970.
He saw the value in preserving & celebrating tattoo history with future artists and used that idea to open the Lyle Tuttle Tattoo & Museum, located in San Francisco. He truly loved the work he did and sharing his knowledge with others.
Even after retiring he remained active in the tattoo industry, traveling to expos and conventions across the world.
We sincerely thank him for all he's done for the tattoo community and know his legacy will never be forgotten. Please feel free to comment below any stories you might have with Lyle or favorite tattoos by him. Check out this heartfelt message on his Instagram: Lyle Tuttle Collection