John Daniels (actor)

Johnathan Daniels (born 1945), known professionally as John Daniels, is an American former actor, songwriter, producer and club owner.

John Daniels
Born
Johnathan Daniels

1945 (age 77–78)
Gary, Indiana, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • songwriter
  • producer
Years active1968–1982
Known forThe Baron – The Candy Tangerine Man
Mr. Johnathan – Black Shampoo
SpouseGwen Briscoe

Biography

Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, Daniels attended Butler University.[1]

Club ownership

Maverick's Flat used to be an Arthur Murray dancing school. It was outfitted with fluffy sofas and glass tile table tops in a late 1960s style. In 1966 The Temptations were there for the opening and it is said that their hit "Psychedelic Shack" is about the club. Football player and actor Jim Brown helped Daniels both financial backing and promotion.[2]

Music

Daniels and his wife, Gwen Brisco, managed a Disco Soul group called The Love Machine.[3] Another group that he was connected with was one that he put together. This group DeBlanc featured Linda Carriere and Nidra Beard. As well as touring the United States, the group toured Japan, Europe and Canada. Eventually it broke up and with Beard and Carriere, it evolved into Starfire. Linda Carriere and Nidra Beard were later in the group Dynasty.[4] Earlier in his career, Daniels had been a songwriter with Capitol records.

Credits
  • Love Machine – The Love Machine - Philips – 63 70 725 - 1975 - (Executive Producer) [5]
  • The Love Machine - Feel The Love - Victor – VIP-6405 - 1977 - (Executive Producer and Arrangement) [6]

Film roles

Daniels had the lead role in The Candy Tangerine Man (1975) where he played a pimp-by-night and family-man-by-day. In Black Shampoo (1976), Daniels played Jonathan, a heterosexual promiscuous male hairdresser. Director Greydon Clark was inspired by the 1975 film Shampoo, in what was observed to be a common blaxploitation filmmaking technique of intentionally piggybacking on previous hit films starring predominantly white casts to create African American films.[7][8] Daniels also had a role as Black in Bare Knuckles (1977), an action film that starred Robert Viharo, Sherry Jackson and Gloria Hendry.[9]

Television

Credits

Film

References
  1. Gary In Memories Famous Lake Countians Archived 2014-04-13 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Black Is the New White By Paul Mooney Chapter 4 ("Second page")
  3. Soul Train Website Diary of an Ex-Soul Train Dancer: Wanda Fuller Robinson
  4. Powwerhouse Radio Dynasty Archived 2012-03-22 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Discogs Love Machine* – The Love Machine
  6. Discogs Love Machine, The – Feel The Love
  7. Strausbaugh, John (2007). Black Like You: Blackface, Whiteface, Insult & Imitation in American Popular Culture. Penguin Publishing Group. p. 261. ISBN 9780312131494.
  8. Rausch, Andrew J. (2009). "Greydon Clark". Reflections on Blaxploitation: Actors and Directors Speak. Scarecrow Press. pp. 42–45. ISBN 9780810867062.
  9. New York Times Bare Knuckles (1977) Acting Credits
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