Jim Dandy Mangrum

Early life

Mangrum was born in the town of Benton Harbor, Michigan. He was raised a Southern Baptist in the town of Black Oak, Arkansas. Mangrum attended Monette High School, in Monette, Arkansas.

Black Oak Arkansas

While in high school, Mangrum joined a band named The Knowbody Else, replacing Ronnie Smith on vocals, in a mutually-agreed upon decision. Smith went on to become the band's stage production manager. In 1966, Mangrum and members of the group stole musical equipment from Monette high school and Manila high school, and were arrested for grand larceny. They were sentenced to 26 years at the Tucker Prison Farm; however, the sentence was suspended. Mangrum and his group left Arkansas, and moved first to New Orleans, and then to Memphis, Tennessee. In 1970, they traveled to Los Angeles where they signed with Atco Records and released their self-titled first album with their new name Black Oak Arkansas.

In 1973, they released their most successful album, High on the Hog, which reached number 52 in the charts. One of the songs from the album, "Jim Dandy", which was a cover of the 1957 LaVern Baker song, reached number 25 in the Billboard charts, and became their best known single and Mangrum's signature song. It also featured female vocalist Ruby Starr, who traded off vocals with Mangrum.

In 1982, he was involved in a car accident, and broke three vertebrae; however by 1984 he had recovered, and was back performing.

Mangrum continues to record and tour with a series of different Black Oak Arkansas lineups in the present day of 2011.

Black Oak Arkansas's last album was Back Thar N' Over Yonder on Atlantic Records in 2013. The album received high marks in nearly all reviews, and featured a 2013 reunion of former band members as well as unreleased tracks from the heyday of the band in the 1970s.

Discography