John Haywood is a tattoo and folk artist in Whitesburg, Kentucky. He owns and operates the Parlor Room Tattoo and Art Gallery – a tattoo shop that draws visitors from all over the world to Letcher County into the far southeastern corner of Kentucky. A well-known banjo and fiddle player, Haywood also travels, playing music and singing locally and nationally.
A large percentage of his clients are from out of town – some from different countries, some from different coasts. He also tattoos a lot of people who are home visiting family. He considers he and the shop’s other artists to be cultural ambassadors for eastern Kentucky, frequently making recommendations for visitors to enjoy the nearby towns and landscapes.
“Many come for a tattoo, and some to experience a little bit of our culture,” Haywood says of his shop.
Haywood tattooed for six years in Radcliff, Kentucky, near Fort Knox, and spent many years in Louisville before returning home to the mountains in 2011 and opening the Parlor Room. He describes the experience as “struggling to find a place in the city,” and said that his “culture and heritage became my voice.”
“My images, as well as other artists here, draw from this voice,” Haywood said. “Diverse, but painted with a deep East Kentucky accent.”
Though Whitesburg is a city with a strong creative energy that has drawn artists and young entrepreneurs for decades (Appalshop, a media arts and cultural center, was established there 50 years ago, and houses the largest creative body of work about Appalachia), Haywood knew he had to create something that would draw in visitors in order to make the business feasible in the small town.
He brought together painting, music and tattooing by creating the gallery in the tattoo parlor, and playing as many local shows as he can.He said he thinks many eastern Kentuckians feel a calling to be the master of their crafts, and to realize the power this could have on a global and economic scale. He takes care to mentor fellow tattooers and musicians. Currently, Russ (Griswald) Wright and Jenn Hesh are tattooing at his shop. In 2016, through the Kentucky Folk Arts Council “Folk Art Apprenticeship” grant, Montana Hobbs of the band, The Local Honeys, apprenticed under Haywood to further her skills in the eastern Kentucky banjo style. He is also an instructor at the Cowan Creek Mountain Music School, an annual event in Letcher County that hosts five full days of music classes for all skill levels.
“There is a common bond that holds us all here, a voice, a heritage, and a connection to the landscape,” Haywood says of fellow eastern Kentuckians.
Celebrating the traditions of eastern Kentucky and growing the creative economy is an important part of Appalachia’s New Day.
About: Appalachia’s New Day is a new storytelling effort offered by MACED to eastern Kentucky communities. We can work with you to help identify, shape and amplify stories about businesses, programs and initiatives in your community that are helping build a new economy in eastern Kentucky. Read more stories here. Contact us or sign up here if you would like more details.
