Daniel Johnston (b. January 22, 1961 in Sacramento, California) is a prolific American singer, songwriter and artist. He has been classified as an outsider musician.
His songs are typically painfully direct, and often display a disturbing blend of childlike naïvete with darker, "spooky" themes. Johnston's singing voice is rather high-pitched, and his performances often seem faltering or uncertain; one critic writes that Johnston's recordings range from "spotty to brilliant". He also draws and paints; his illustrations have been featured with most of his albums.
