John Daniels was born and raised in Gary, Indiana. He attended Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. John began his show business career as a songwriter at Capitol Records. Daniels then launched his own magazine called "Elegant." Moreover, John was the executive director of the Black Economic Union in the mid 60s, the manager of the R&B group the Love Machine, and the founder of the popular Los Angeles nightclub Maverick's Flat, which he still owns today. Daniels first became involved with acting after appearing twice on the game show "The Dating Game." John had starring parts in two enjoyably trashy mid-70s blaxploitation pictures: he's super stud hairdresser Mr. Jonathan in Greydon Clark's outrageous "Black Shampoo" and was excellent as cunning, ruthless mack daddy pimp the Baron in Matt Cimber's splendidly sleazy "The Candy Tangerine Man." Other memorable movie roles include a boxer in "Tender Loving Care," rugged bounty hunter Black in the gritty "Bare Knuckles," and vicious top con Yakima Jones in "Mean Dog Blues." Daniels not only had another lead as aspiring music mogul Mike Barnett in "Getting Over," but also wrote the story and served as co-producer.