Silver Fox Twin Roy: The Story Behind My Tats

Written by Roy Williams|Silver Fox Twin|Birmingham, Ala.

People who knew me as the shy high school teenager—or the mild-mannered newspaper reporter I was at 25—are probably wondering:

Who is this 61-year-old bald, silver-bearded man with tattoos up and down both arms?

Even Patrice, my wife of nearly 35 years, recently told me she never imagined marrying a tatted man.

Honestly, I never imagined getting my 1st tattoo at age 55 -nor 7 others by age 61.

But here’s the thing: Don’t judge me by my tattoos.

There is a story behind every one of them.

What may look like ink covering my arms to someone else represents some of the most important people, experiences and lessons in my life.

Each of my 8 tattoos tell a story.

It Started With a Midlife Crisis at 55

My tattoo journey began in 2019 as I approached my 55th birthday.

I was going through an emotional period and thinking deeply about my life.

A big part of that was thinking about my oldest brother, Army Major Dwayne Williams, who died at age 40 in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon.

Dwayne was my hero as a kid, when I idolized his athletic ability in football, basketball and softball.

As a scrawny young teenager, I once told him:

“I want to be just like you when I grow up.”

His response has stayed with me for decades:

“Be you, little brother.”

Those three words eventually became part of one of my tattoos.

Dwayne wasn’t just my childhood sports hero.

He became an Army paratrooper, jumping out of airplanes at Fort Benning as part of his military career. Then I lost him far too soon at age 40 when he died in the 9/11 terrorist attavk on the Pentegon.

As my 55th birthday approached, my grief and memories of Dwayne came rushing back.

I told Patrice: “I want to get a tattoo of Dwayne honoring his sacrifice.”

Patrice had another idea, suggesting I get something that represented how God had helped me deal with my grief.

That advice started a journey that eventually led to eight tattoos.

Tattoo No. 1 — Praying Hands | 2019

Right shoulder

My first tattoo is still one of my favorites.

I went to Five Points South and got praying hands along with the Bible verse James 5:16

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” —

For me, the praying hands represented exactly what Patrice suggested: my faith and the role God played in helping me deal with grief.

Walking into the tattoo parlor, I had absolutely no idea what to expect.

Imagine someone taking a needle and essentially painting into your arm for an extended period of time. Those first few minutes were almost unbearable.

But I kept reminding myself why I was doing it: glorifying God while honoring the brother I had idolized as a kid.

Then my 21-year-old daughter made the experience even more memorable. Naja was there videoing the tattoo session and telling her friends:

“I can’t believe my dad is getting a tattoo. And he’s smiling!”

Here’s my secret:

That smile was fake.

I was trying my best to hide the pain because there was no way I was going to let my daughter see that I was in agony!

The tattoo artist was amazing, talking me through the process and helped me get through it.

About an hour later, it was finished.

And the results were amazing.

It’s still my favorite tattoo—not just because it was my first, but because of everything it represents.

Tattoo No. 2 — Family Scroll | 2021

My second tattoo was all about family.

I got a scroll featuring the names of the people closest to me: Roy, Patrice, Naja, Royce

My name.

My wife’s name.

My daughter’s name.

My son’s name.

My family.

I also included Mark 10:19:

“Honour thy father and mother…”

Of my eight tattoos, this one is probably my least favorite—not because of what it means, but because of how it turned out.

The woman who did it wasn’t as skilled at cursive lettering as the artist who did my first tattoo. The writing is dark and difficult to read.

But that doesn’t change what it means to me: honoring my wife and the two children God blessed me with.

Tattoos Nos. 3, 4 & 5 — Faith, Protection and Becoming “Me” | 2021

Three more tattoos followed in 2021, all on my left arm.

Together, they tell a story about faith, protection, confidence and the advice my big brother gave me when I was a kid.

Tattoo No. 3 — The Cross

The cross represents my Christian faith.

It’s simple.

It’s powerful.

And it’s personal.

Tattoo No. 4 — “No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper”

Upper left shoulder

This is my favorite scripture:

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper…” — Isaiah 54:17

Those words remind me that adversity doesn’t get the final word.

I’ve experienced loss.

I’ve experienced difficult seasons.

I’ve experienced moments when I wasn’t sure what was next.

But my faith reminds me to keep moving forward.

Tattoo No. 5 — “Believe in Yourself”

At the bottom of my left arm are the words:

Believe in yourself.

But there’s a special twist.

The words BE YOU stand out in red while the rest of the lettering is black.

That is a direct tribute to my brother Dwayne.

Remember what I told him as a young teenager?

“I want to be just like you when I grow up.”

Dwayne’s response:

“Be you, little brother.”

Those words stuck with me.

For years, I thought being like my big brother was the ultimate compliment.

But Dwayne was teaching me something much bigger.

I didn’t have to become him.

I needed to become me.

That’s why BE YOU stands out on my arm.

Tattoo No. 6 — “I Can Do All Things” | 2023

My sixth tattoo came in 2023.

It features my second-favorite scripture:

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” — Philippians 4:13

Those words are a reminder that I can keep moving forward even when life gets difficult.

I’ve learned that strength isn’t always about doing everything by yourself.

Sometimes strength comes from knowing where your help comes from.

Tattoo No. 7 — “He Broke Away Their Chains” | April 2026

Inside lower right arm/wrist

By late April 2026, I was ready for tattoo No. 7.

This one features the words:

“He broke away their chains…” — Psalm 107:14

And beneath the words is a long black chain that has been broken.

The image says something powerful to me.

Chains can represent grief, fear, doubt, pain, disappointment—anything that makes you feel trapped.

A broken chain represents freedom.

It represents letting go of what has held you back and moving forward.

This tattoo is one of my favorites.

And it has an extra special connection because it was done by a talented young Black female tattoo artist named Brianna, whose company is Dream Artistry.

Her work is amazing.

Follow Dream Artistry on Instagram: @_DREAMARTISTRY

Tattoo No. 8 — “More Than Conquerors” | June 2026

Inside lower left arm/wrist

Then came tattoo No. 8 in June 2026.

This one features the words:

“We are more than conquerors…” — Romans 8:37

The tattoo includes a white dove with its wings spread on top of a cross.

The dove.

The cross.

The scripture.

Together, they represent faith, victory and perseverance.

This is another one of my favorites.

And once again, Brianna of Dream Artistry did the work.

The two tattoos running up the inside of my lower wrists—the broken chains and “More Than Conquerors”—are among my favorites, right alongside my praying hands and “Believe in Yourself” tattoos.

Eight Tattoos. One Story.

So now you know the story behind my tats.

What began as a midlife crisis at 55 became a personal journey through faith, family, grief, freedom and perseverance.

So don’t judge me by my tats.

Look beyond the ink.

Each one carries a message, but together they tell one story—my story.

And perhaps the most meaningful message is the one my big brother Dwayne gave me when I was a young teenager:

“Be you, little brother.”

At 61, I’m still doing exactly that.