Jim "Dandy" Mangrum

James Mangrum, better known as Jim "Dandy" Mangrum (born March 30, 1948), is the lead singer and frontman for the American Southern rock band Black Oak Arkansas. He is noted for his raspy voice, long hair, and wild, sexually-explicit stage antics which sometimes included miming sex with a washboard which he often uses to accompany his singing. His stage persona is credited as having been a major influence on Van Halen vocalist David Lee Roth.

Black Oak Arkansas

Mangrum was born in the town of Black Oak, Arkansas, which is how his group eventually derived their name. He was raised a Southern Baptist. In September 1965 while in high school, he formed a band which he named The Knowbody Else. In 1966, Mangrum and members of the group stole musical equipment from a school, and were arrested for grand larceny. They were sentenced to 26 years at the Tucker Prison Farm; however, the sentence was suspended.^[1] 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 late 1991, he was involved in a car accident, and broke three vertebrae; however by 1992, he had recovered, and was back performing.^[2]

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 The Wild Bunch released in 1999.

Discography

• Ready As Hell (1984)
• The Black Attack Is Back (1986)

References