Livingston Castro Roberts

"The History Maker!" "Livingston "Castro" Roberts, A legend of the Road" is an icon on the Highwaymen Heritage Trail of Fort Pierce, Florida. Castro was born in Elkton, Florida, one of the earliest Highwaymen artists.
He moved to Fort Pierce to live with his family in 1957. Livingston met Alfred Hair; the young men were both 19 years of age and shared a love for painting,
they became good friends.

The buddies enjoyed sharing their talents, and many of the painters learned to paint from Roberts. The painters would later be called
the Highwaymen. His friends called him Castro, named for his beard; he resembled the country's dictator of Cuba, Fidel Castro.

On August 9, 1970, one summer night, one Castro would not forget. Castro and Alfred were enjoying drinks at Eddie's Place, a popular juke joint
on Avenue D, where locals and the painters often gathered after a long day on the road selling art.
Castro and Alfred were having drinks; the dynamics changed when the jokes and loud laughter went too far.

Julius Funderburk crossed Alfred in a jealous rage in what could have been a misunderstanding over Funderburk's girl.
Threatened by the thought, Funderburk went to his car, returned with a gun, and shot Alfred once. Alfred fell,
and the second shot to his body took Alfred's life.
That night, at that moment, so many lives changed forever. Castro witnessed his friend lose his life, and he was heartbroken.

Castro was never the same; he moved to Buffalo, New York, to live with family. The change of atmosphere helped him heal, and he began to paint again.
Castro sold much of his work in Canada.

In 1975, Castro moved back to Fort Pierce. He painted on the red carpet under the big Brazilian pepper tree in his backyard.
No shirt, he painted bareback; the Florida breeze against his skin kept him calm.
Smoking was another enjoyment in Livingston's life among laughter and drinking, but cigarettes lead to lung cancer.
Livingston Roberts died on January 17, 2004.

Livingston was a loving man with a good heart; he painted for more than 47 years.
He influenced those he knew and didn't know through his love of Florida landscapes. His life's work brought joy to all.

Castro was one of the finest painters in the group. The early Highway sales associates Minnesota fats, Zoom and Alonso Pratt sold his work. Al Black, who began his sales career afterward, continued to sell Castro's work in 1963.
Many early sales associates died, and Al Black became the top salesman across Florida, the Georgia state line, Alabama, and other states.

Livingston "Castro" Roberts is a part of the Highwaymen Heritage Trail in St. Lucie County.
Castro helped make Highwaymen art what it is today.