Tattooing legend Paul Booth We interviewed him after he had filmed his latest sessions with AEW wrestling. Malakai Black And Brody King. Booth spoke candidly about recent neck surgery and losing his New York City Studio at the start of the COVID pandemic.
Admirers of Booth’s work need not worry — Paul is still in business. He no longer owns his NYC studio or art gallery and works from an office in New Jersey.
“When COVID hit New York and they did the lockdown I had to close my doors,” Booth recalls. “And after three months of that, I decided, ‘You know what? I’m gonna stop spending my savings on paying the rent.’ At that point, it was clear to me that New York was gonna be down for a while, not just in lockdown, but in recovery afterwards. I made what felt like the smartest move and got out of town.”
Booth had to also undergo surgery for spinalstenosis. The condition was causing numbness in Paul’s hands, which obviously isn’t ideal for a tattoo artist.
“My entire spinal cord was getting clamped down on. From my fingertips down to my toes, my whole body went numb. After I had my surgery, I felt so weak that I could no longer tattoo. I couldn’t hold the machine because my hands were so numb. I had no dexterity,” Paul says.
“The minute I woke up [from surgery] I was like, ‘I can feel my hands!’ I remember wiggling my fingers so happy.”
You can watch the entire interview below with Paul Booth. If you’re interested in booking an appointment with Paul or checking out his art, click here.
