JOHNNY DANIELS
(1954-2009)
Johnny Daniels (younger brother of fellow Highwaymen Willie Daniels) was born in Quincy, Florida in 1954. He is the youngest member of the Highwaymen and often went by the nickname “Hook”.
Johnny moved to Fort Pierce and began his painting career as a teenager in the mid-1960's, constructing frames for some of the other painters in the group. Johnny’s primary mentors were his brother Willie, Livingston Roberts and Sam Newton, with his style early on resembling techniques from each. It was not long before Johnny was selling his paintings on the road with the other Highwaymen.
Johnny was also more detailed in his work than many of the other artists, including wildlife such as bears, fish, birds and other Florida game in his paintings. His artwork speaks to his place within the Highwaymen story. His paintings are often more purposeful and unique than that of many other artists, and less frequently the “copy-paste” scenery template.
For a short period of time both Johnny and Willie sold paintings in their gallery in Fort Pierce. Later in his life, Johnny went on to mentor a few of the “Second Generation” or “Legacy” Artists, including Kelvin Hair (Alfred’s son) and A.J. Brown.
