Books

Alfred Hair, the driving force of the Highwaymen, was a charismatic personality whose energy and creativity were foundational to the success of his fellow African American artists during the era of Jim Crow segregation. Shot and killed in a barfight at the age of 29, Hair lived his short life fully, with a zest and intensity that informed his art and defined the aesthetic that marks Highwaymen paintings. The book describes Hair’s upbringing, growth as an artist, and romantic escapades and marriage, ending with the tragic events that unfolded at the juke joint known as Eddie’s Place the night of August 9, 1970. Alfred Hair remembers a man who lifted the spirits of the Highwaymen painters and enhanced the idea of Florida through his art.