James Galloway, the owner of Divine Ink Tattoos on Trinity Street, can now proudly say he’s tattooed pop star Chesney Hawkes, known for his 1991 hit “The One and Only.” Chesney visited the Dorchester tattoo studio to get his first and only tattoo, accompanied by his brother Jodie Hawkes and childhood friend Vic Irvine, a mutual friend of James who is battling lung cancer.
The trio, all passionate football fans, chose to get a pair of iron hammers—the emblem of Premier League team West Ham United—tattooed on their left arms.
James, 49, expressed his excitement: “I knew this was happening, and I’ve known Vic for some time. When he mentioned coming to my shop, I felt honored.”
He added, “The day was so enjoyable; it’s Chesney’s one and only tattoo, so I can call myself his tattooist now.”
In 2022, Chesney held a fundraising event for Vic, who works as the head brewer at Cerne Abbas Brewery. James noted that getting the tattoo together held significant meaning for them.
“It’s all part of the same story, and that’s why they wanted to do it. Tattooing them meant a lot to me as well because of Vic’s illness. I felt honored that he chose me; that was as thrilling as tattooing Chesney.”
James, who has been tattooing since age 17 and running his Dorchester shop for three years, reports that business is thriving. He hopes Chesney will return for more work.
“They might come back, as they’re discussing adding to the tattoo, but I’m unsure when. Chesney has been recommending me to some West Ham players, so I might get them down here too.”
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