HIV/AIDS LONG-TERM SURVIVOR * YOUTH EDUCATION * ADVOCACY * ACTIVISM * RESOURCES
Houston, Texas - United States
the true tale of one tough pirate
COMING SOON!
The True Tale of One Tough Pirate is blood, battle, and backbone. 42 years with HIV, and Bob Bowers is still standing—scarred, sacred, and louder than ever. From the ICU to the stage, from the streets to the steps of a church, he’s carried this fight across every mile with his fists up and his faith locked in. This story isn’t whispered—it storms the gates.
Every chapter hits like a heartbeat you thought you lost. Survival wasn’t the end. It was the ignition. This is inked truth, soaked in spirit, driven by the ones he’s lost—and the fire he refuses to let die. The ride’s already in motion. And it’s coming straight for your soul.
Volume 1 is near!
Volume 1 Teaser – Scroll 1: Bare My Soul
I’ve worn shame like a second skin, but I’m still here.
I’ve held my own hand in the dark.
I’ve screamed into silence and danced with the dead.
I don’t flinch from truth anymore.
I bear it. Ink it. Bleed it. Speak it.
Every mile of this ride carries someone I’ve lost—and the fire I refuse to bury.
So if you’re looking for a hero, look somewhere else.
But if you want the truth from a man who’s lived, lost, and keeps showing up?
Crack this book.
And prepare to feel every damn word.
––Bob Bowers, One Tough Pirate
coming soon!
The True Tale of One Tough Pirate
The first volume of Bob Bowers' life story is near...
Bob Bowers is a 42-year survivor of HIV/AIDS living in Houston, Texas USA
The True Tale of One Tough Pirate and The Gospel According to One Tough Pirate are coming soon!
Bob Bowers' story was very inspiring to me. Listening to him made me think more about taking life day by day and to not take things for granted. It was really great of him to come in and talk to us about his situation. I admire him tons for his courage and strength.
Frances S.
THE TRUE TALE OF ONE TOUGH PIRATE - Bob bowers' life story
My mission’s never been about pity—it’s about power. I speak to educate, but I live to inspire. After 42 years with HIV, I’m still standing, still fighting, and showing others they can survive their own battles too—whatever they are.
The true tale of one tough pirate
Coming soon!
You want to know what makes me different? I don’t just live with HIV—I ride with it. I take it into towns that never saw it coming. I crack open stories most people bury. I don’t hold shame like a secret—I wear it like a scar that finally healed. Others might light a candle. I light the fuckin’ sky with a three-wheeled resurrection and a playlist that hits like scripture.
HIV/AIDS isn’t over—until it’s truly over.
“Never surrender. Never forget. I ride for the ones who didn’t make it—and speak for the ones still too scared to. This fight ain’t over. Not by a long shot.”
~ Bob Bowers aka One Tough Pirate
the true tale of One Tough Pirate
The Gospel According to One Tough Pirate
Ain’t your typical testimony.
This is fuel-soaked faith lit on a backroad, born in the trenches—not the temple.
From ICU beds to protest marches, from Harley rides to holy moments, I’ve walked with death and danced with deliverance.
42 years with HIV. Still breathing. Still believing. Still burning.
It’s not about playing perfect.
It’s about rising wrecked—and choosing purpose anyway.
This is my gospel. Raw. Road-tested. Real.
Stay tuned. It’s coming in hot.
Bob Bowers' Second Documentary
“This ain’t Sunday school—it’s survival school. I didn’t find God in stained glass. I found Him in hospital beds, on protest lines, in back alleys and back pews. And through it all, I kept the faith, kept the fire, and never let go of the fight.”
~ from The Gospel According to One Tough Pirate
You have to be one of the most amazing men. This just shows people that you can't tell from the outside someone is living with AIDS. Protect yourself and others. I love how open and honest you are about your life. And how AIDS hasn't made you lay down and die.
Bren
NO SHAME! NO SURRENDER!
Bob's life story
Photos of Bob Bowers
Photos of Bob Bowers
I lived this shit. For decades, I’ve spoken to youth, to crowds, to anyone who would listen—not because I wanted recognition, but because I had to. Because HIV/AIDS wasn’t just some distant crisis to me; it was my life. My reality. My battle.
~ Bob Bowers
Photos of Bob Bowers
Photos of Bob Bowers
Photos of Bob Bowers
I’m not just living with HIV—I survived the ‘80s.
Back when a diagnosis was a death sentence and hope was in short supply, I kept breathing, fighting, rising.
42 years later, I’m still here—proof that strength outlives stigma.
Bob Bowers' Tattoos
Photos of Bob Bowers
Bob Bowers' Tattoos
My tattoos speak when I can’t.
They carry the names, the battles, the prayers, and the promises.
Each one marks a moment—of pain, purpose, faith, and fight.
They remind me where I’ve been, what I’ve lost, and who I refuse to become. This skin is my armor, my journal, my battle flag.
