Hayley Williams, the iconic frontwoman of Paramore, is known not only for her powerful vocals and vibrant stage presence but also for her collection of meaningful tattoos. These tattoos tell stories of her life, relationships, and personal beliefs. Among them, one particular tattoo gained notoriety due to her relationship with Chad Gilbert.
The "CEG" Tattoo and Its Aftermath
Hayley Williams celebrated Valentine’s Day by getting a tattoo of her husband’s initials “CEG” for Chad Everett Gilbert. It was inked on her left hand with one letter on each finger. She stopped by Victory Tattoo in her hometown of Nashville, TN on February 14th 2015 and got inked by artist Mia Graffam. Hayley tweeted “Happy Valentine’s! A ring ain’t even permanent enough for this love."
Chad and his band New Found Glory were on tour in Japan at the time, but a few weeks later he visited the same artist and got a tattoo on his thumb of “HW” for Hayley Williams and an X for his straight-edge (substance-free) lifestyle. “Got my thumb tattooed! Two things that changed my life for the better in one." The tattoos came shortly after they announced their engagement on December 25th, 2014.
In July 2017, Hayley Williams announced her divorce from longtime partner Chad Gilbert, leaving her with a regrettable tattoo of his initials “CEG” across three of her fingers. She covered them up with three black squares in February 2018. This tattoo is something that Hayley doesn’t want to talk about for obvious reasons. The troubles in their relationship are apparent throughout the lyrics of Paramore’s 2017 album After Laughter. Writing those songs actually made Hayley realize that their marriage was beyond saving.
Other Notable Tattoos
Beyond the "CEG" tattoo, Hayley Williams has a variety of other tattoos, each with its unique story and significance.
Read also: The journey of Chad Williams
- "AL" Tattoo: Hayley Williams got the letters “AL” tattooed on the back of her left wrist in honor of her band Paramore’s fifth studio album After Laughter. She got the tattoo a few days after the album’s May 12, 2017 release date.
- Matching Sister Tattoos: Hayley Williams celebrated her little sister Erica’s 18th birthday in January 2014 by getting matching tattoos from artist Ian White at Safe House Tattoo Studio.
- Hand Holding an Envelope: Hayley Williams got a tattoo on her thigh while on tour in Australia in February 2013. The tattoo is a hand holding an envelope to symbolize relationships with loved ones while on the road. Hayley explains: “To do what we love we miss the ones we love. Long distance letters and phone calls and anything to make the distance disappear! It’s done in a traditional style in black and red inks and surrounded by leaves and ribbons for decoration.
- "TCB" Lightning Bolt: Hayley Williams has a tattoo on her elbow of a lightning bolt with the letters “TCB” for “Takin’ Care of Business.” This was the motto of Elvis Presley and his backing band was named the TCB band. Elvis wore a necklace with the TCB lightning bolt logo, and Hayley wears a replica necklace which says “TLC.” She writes “Finally got my TCB today. Been wearing the necklace for years… All the men in my family have TCB (taking care of business) and the women have TLC (tendler love and care). Now I’ve got both… And one of them is permanent! The tattoo was done at Kat Von D’s shop High Voltage Tattoo in West Hollywood by artist Dan Smith in August 2012.
- "Accentuate the Positive / Eliminate the Negative": Hayley Williams has quote on her left forearm which says “Accentuate the positive / Eliminate the negative.” It is written in capital letters in an uneven handwriting. Hayley got this tattoo done by artist Dan Smith in March 2012. Because Paramore wasn’t touring at the time, no one saw the tattoo until Hayley shared a picture on paramore.net in May 2012. When she finally revealed the ink, she wrote “Kept this one to myself for a while. A Johnny Mercer lyric/life philosophy.
- Side Flowers: In January 2012, Hayley Williams got a large tattoo on her left side of flowers done in a brightly colored traditional style. She says that the tattoo “represents me and my 2 sisters. Each unique and yet still growing together.” Hayley is the oldest child in her family and has two younger sisters Erica and McKayla.
- Paramore Unity Tattoo: The three members of Paramore - singer Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York, and bassist Jeremy Davis - all got matching tattoos in August 2011 to represent their unity as a band. Explaining the design, Hayley says “we just really wanted something simple that describes the three of us and the people around us.” The band drew a number of designs and decided on this one of a black rectangle with three white bars to represent the three band members. “It’s so simple, it really couldn’t get any more simple, but that’s the point,” Hayley explains.
- Black Cross: Hayley Williams has a tattoo of a solid black cross tattoo on the front of her right thigh. She got this tattoo in December 2010 while guitarist Taylor York got a tattoo on his arm.
- Warped Tour Tattoo: Hayley Williams has a tattoo behind her left ear to commemorate her times on the Warped Tour. Paramore have played the tour in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2011. Hayley got this tattoo in July 2009, shortly after Paramore played a surprise set at the Cleveland Warped Tour 2009 show. During the Cleveland show in 2007 a huge storm occurred right before Paramore’s set. Hayley writes that this tattoo represents “My <3 for warped tour. (minus all the horrific bands on this year). 2 years ago in Cleveland we almost died in the storm on Warped!!! and our fans stuck around and waited for us for at least an hour. We went on anyways and played one of the most fun sets of the whole tour. So memorable. Then this year, we got to surprise Warped in Cleveland. The weather was perfect. I wanted something to remind me of some of my best Warped memories. Albert L.
- Patched Heart: Hayley Williams has heart with patches right below and behind the razor tattoo on her right ankle. Hayley hasn’t spoken much about this tattoo other than to say that she got it while on tour with her husband’s band New Found Glory. “This is from a tour that I did,” she says, “our band wasn’t on it, but I just hung out. It seems that a group of people on the tour - New Found Glory’s fall 2008 “Easycore” headlining tour - all got these matching tattoos together. Above the heart are the letters “HHT.” We thought for a long time that it said “HHTM,” but artist Shauncey Fury who did these tattoos cleared this up in a comment in which he wrote: “I actually did the patched heart on Hayley. I was on that tour and we all just got a hurtin’ heart. The letters are HHT for hurtin’ hearts tour.
- Razor: Hayley Williams’ first two tattoos are both on the inside of her right ankle. Hayley got a tattoo of a pink razor with a banner that says “Shave Me” because she rarely shaves while on tour. She told Spin, “On the Warped Tour a few years ago, if I wore shorts or if I wore my pants rolled up, someone by the end of the day would have written ‘Shave me’ on my ankle. The tattoo has a deeper meaning than being just a reminder to shave more - it’s a reminder of the touring lifestyle and being on the road. Hayley writes, “I have this ‘reminder’ tattoo on my leg. Sort of a tribute to my days of touring and living like one of the boys. She also got a patched heart with the letters “HHT” for “Hurting Hearts Tour” after hanging out on tour with New Found Glory.
Hayley Williams and Chad Gilbert: A Look Back
Hayley Williams of Paramore and Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory wed in Franklin, Tennessee. Given their pop-punk roots - the couple met at Warped Tour in 2007 and started dating after New Found Glory and Paramore toured together in Europe - unconventional touches filled the fête. On paper, the bride’s wedding gown may read as traditional: a Vera Wang gown with an embroidered tulle skirt and lace cap sleeves. However, the high-low style of the dress allowed Hayley to show off her colorful tattoos and ebony Dr. Martens, worn in lieu of high-heels. Her trademark fire-hued hair was tied up in a spunky up do.
After the first dance, Hayley changed into a paneled white skirt, a cozy T-shirt with her new husband’s name printed across the front, and custom Vans sneakers. This turned out to be a prudent choice, as she had no need to worry about her couture gown when she and Chad smashed cake on each other’s face during the cake cutting.
PARAMORE - BIBLE STUDY
The story of Hayley Williams' tattoos is a personal journey, reflecting her experiences, relationships, and artistic expression. While some tattoos, like the "CEG" initials, carry complicated memories, they all contribute to the rich tapestry of her life story.
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