Tattooed Hunk: Musician and Model Kevin Creekman

Kevin Creekman grew up in Germany, but he always had a strong desire to live the American Dream. He turned that dream into a reality after moving to Los Angeles in 2018.

Having a love for rock and metal music, Creekman created a brand for himself as “The Creekman.” He last played guitar in 2018 with well-known German singer Gil Ofarim, then took a couple years off. Eager to get back into the music scene, Creekman is touring and performing bass alongside Bad Wolves ex-frontman Tommy Vext this summer.

In addition to music, Creekman is an influencer and model who has received a wide array of media attention for his weight loss transformation journey. Weighing in at 335 pounds by the time he was 18, Creekman was determined to gain back control of his life. After dedication, hard work, and radically changed eating habits, Creekman managed to lose 175 pounds. His body is now completely covered in tattoos, as each tattoo represents a story behind the scars that he carries.

Creekman took some time to chat more about returning to the stage and dropping the weight with OFM.

Let me begin by asking, how excited are you to perform alongside Tommy Vext this summer?
I am super excited! I played with him before in a show, and that was very exciting because that was my first show with a legit metal band in six or seven years. That was a big deal for me. Now, I am looking forward to doing a full tour. It will be fun.

Have you always had a passion for playing music?
Yes. While growing up, the one dream I always had was to become some kind of rock star. I was a kid who listened to a lot of rock and metal music, and the big dream was to be onstage in front of people and enjoy playing music.

What specifically drew you to metal and rock music?
It is hard to say specifically. I think I was maybe 10 or 11 years old, and like every other kid, I was listening to chart music. Especially back then when there was no internet or smartphones. You were just consuming what was out there on TV and music videos. I remember thinking before the 2000s era, the time where a few rock bands really started to crush the charts, like Blink-182, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Linkin Park, I was seeing those music videos and those were the first bands where I really felt like, this is what I love. Once I started listening to more true rock and metal music, it was like, I want to play guitar; I want to play electric guitar. One thing led to another, and I went down this path of rock and metal music.

What do you hope audiences take away from your music?
With Tommy Vext, it’s this thing of energy. There is a lot of strong, powerful energy, and I feel like people should go there and go insane. Just have a good time. Tommy is such a very straightforward person and brings out this message of strong opinions. Some people like it; some people don’t like it, but just with an overall sense of rock music, just be yourself. Put your message out there and have a good time.

What do you feel once you step out on stage and start playing?
The interesting thing is, it took a while for me to get used to it. I feel like I am two people. For myself, I am not really like a person who wants to go out there and stand in front of people and be like, look at me. I am more private and introverted, but I have this switch, and when I go out on stage, I know that this is my time to shine. I feel like I am going more towards my alter ego. Like, I am a rock star, and it is my job to perform.

You have also been receiving media attention for your life-changing weight loss journey. Can you talk more about that?
I was obese during my entire childhood and youth. If you are not the normal, average person, or you get bullied and stuff, there is a realization that you want to change. This took a very long time for me. We are certainly aware that we might be the way that we are, but there is a point in life where it really clicks. Like, it is that serious.

I went through so many failed diets, but when I turned 18, was finishing secondary school, and was preparing to go to university, I was looking back on my life and realizing that I did not have what a lot of other people had. I never had a girlfriend, never went to parties; I never felt like I was a part of society. I was at home playing video games and stuff, and I was like, ‘Before I drag this person to another stage in life and onto university, this is the time to make some changes.’ I managed to drop almost half of my body weight in one year.

Was it challenging to stay committed to your weight loss goals?
All the other diets I did, yes. It was like, one week of little success, and they went off in a completely different direction. During this time period, I was so focused and knew I needed to take control of my life. Once I was in the cycle, the numbers just dropped. I knew I could do it, so I was like, ‘OK, there is no going back because you know how it works now. Just stay on track, and maybe after a certain amount of time, you will actually be where you always wanted to be in life.’ Before, I was going from one extreme to the other extreme, and then it took me a while to balance a healthy lifestyle.

What advice or tips can you offer to those who are struggling with their weight or weight loss journey?
What I figured out for myself, and this is probably what everyone else does to figure out for themselves, I would never suggest people to just adopt any lifestyles or nutritional plans from other people. Everyone should figure out what really suits their lifestyle and taste palate. Everyone likes different foods, so it does not make sense to stick to certain things that other people suggest that you don’t like. You will end up falling back to other stuff.

The basic rule for losing weight is calories. That is really the only rule that defines whether you gain or lose weight. We eat too many calories, we gain weight. We eat less calories, we lose weight. Once you kind of become aware of what you eat, how many calories you have, and how many calories you need, you are pretty much free to do whatever the hell you want. You can eat a pizza and lose weight if you just cut off a lot of calories. We are all flexible to find out which nutritional needs suit our lifestyles. As long as we are aware of what we are eating and how much we need to eat, I feel people should be free to do what they want that fits their personal tastes and lifestyles. Just stick to it, and go for it. So, calories are the key.

Can you tell us more about your tattoos? They were initially intended to cover your weight loss surgery scars?
They kind of have two dimensions. After I lost a lot of weight, I had loose skin, and I was dealing with this for many, many more years. I could not afford to pay for surgeries, and healthcare did not want to pay for surgery because they did not see any major impact on my health. So, I was accepting of this at first. This is going to be me for the rest of my life. I am going to be this person with all this loose, hanging skin.

I started to get tattoos when I was around 23, and I was working on sleeve tattoos, and then my chest later. I saved enough money to get my surgery, but I was still suffering a lot with my body confidence because I still hated for people to see me without a shirt and stuff. For a long period of time, I did not feel comfortable because I was overweight, now I was uncomfortable because of my skin and surgery scars. Every time anyone saw the scars, I had to explain my whole life story.

I did not want to be related anymore to the fact that I was obese. I wanted to be a new person and just be accepted. Please stop asking about my past. So, since I already had tattoos, I thought of just expanding what I already had. Maybe I could then achieve to be this new person and feel free in my skin.

Before we wrap up, are there any other projects or anything else you would like to mention or plug?
No, the most concrete thing right now is stepping back into this rock/metal band to play with Tommy Vext on tour. I have an acting gig that has been hanging somewhere in the air for almost a year, but because of COVID, everything got postponed. Hopefully, we will begin filming this year, and it is a movie with Danny Trejo and Brian Austin Green. This would be my first legit movie as an actor, but it is still kind of very vague. So, we will see.

Connect with Creekman, by following him on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit his official website.

Photos Courtesy of Kevin Creekman