Black Oak Arkansas is an American

Southern rock Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music and a genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues and is focused generally on electric guitars and vocals. Author Scott B. Bomar specu ...

band named after the band's hometown of

Black Oak, Arkansas Black Oak is a town in Craighead County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 262 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Jonesboro, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. Black Oak is the namesake of 1970s rock band Black Oak Arkansa ...

. The band reached the height of its fame in the 1970
charting ten albums according to Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
Their style is punctuated by multiple guitar players and the raspy voice and on-stage antics of vocalist

Jim "Dandy" Mangrum James Mangrum (born March 30, 1948), better known as Jim "Dandy" Mangrum, is an American singer. He is the lead singer and frontman of the Southern rock band Black Oak Arkansas, in which he is the sole remaining original member. He is noted for ...

History

The Knowbody Else

Black Oak Arkansas, originally named
The Knowbody Else
" was formed in 1963 by some "high school pals" living in the area around Black Oak, Arkansas. Original members included Ronnie "Chicky Hawk" Smith (vocals), Rickie Lee (alternately "Risky" or "Ricochet") Reynolds (guitar), Stanley "Goober Grin" Knight (guitar), Harvey "Burley" Jett (guitar), Pat "Dirty" Daugherty (bass), and Wayne "Squeezebox" Evans (drums). At some point the band and Ronnie "Chicky Hawk" Smith agreed that a mutual friend named James "Jim Dandy" Mangrum would make a better front man, while Smith agreed that he himself would make a better stage production manager. The band's first

PA system A public address system (or PA system) is an electronic system comprising microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and related equipment. It increases the apparent volume (loudness) of a human voice, musical instrument, or other acoustic sound sou ...

was stolen from Monette High School. The group then cleaned out an old galvanized grain bin on the edge of town and began blasting out ear-piercing sounds that echoed their special blend of music that came from rock, gospel, country and blues influences. Members of the group were subsequently charged in absentia with

grand larceny Larceny is a crime involving the unlawful taking or theft of the personal property of another person or business. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of Engla ...

and sentenced to 26 years at the Tucker Prison Farm, a sentence that was later suspended. This led to their retreat to the hills of rural north-central Arkansas where they lived off the land and refined their musical style. They also lived in Long Beach, Mississippi, and played at the local Lobe theater/dance hall and the short-lived venue, "The Black Rainbow." Some of their influences during this time were

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

and

the Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining th ...

. The Knowbody Else moved to

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the County seat, seat of Shelby County, Tennessee, Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 Uni ...

in 1969 and signed a record deal with

Stax Records Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records. Stax was ...

. Their self-titled debut album (Hip Records #HIS-7003 subsidiary of Stax was largely ignored by the public. During this time the band became interested in

psychedelia Psychedelia refers to the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic music and style of dress during that era. This was primarily generated by people who used psychedelic dru ...

and

Eastern Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 * Eastern Air ...

spiritualism Spiritualism is the metaphysical school of thought opposing physicalism and also is the category of all spiritual beliefs/views (in monism and dualism) from ancient to modern. In the long nineteenth century, Spiritualism (when not lowercase) b ...

which, combined with their

Southern Baptist The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination, and the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. The word ...

upbringing, contributed to their sound.

Black Oak Arkansas

After several trips to

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

, in 1970, the band was signed by

Atco Records ATCO Records is an American record label founded in 1955. It is owned by Warner Music Group and operates as an imprint of Atlantic Records. After several decades of dormancy and infrequent activity under alternating Warner Music labels, the com ...

(whose parent label,

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most ...

, once had a partnership with Stax) and rechristened Black Oak Arkansas. Their self-titled debut album '' Black Oak Arkansas'' was released in 1971. The record featured enduring BOA classics such as "Hot and Nasty", "Lord Have Mercy On My Soul", "Uncle Lijiah" (written in pseudo-tribute to Harvey Jett's real-life great uncle) and "When Electricity Came To Arkansas", which was accused by fundamentalist religious groups of containing backward-masked "Satanic messages" (possibly from a live performance of the song in which Mangrum utters "dog si eh" and "natas" three times). The band toured extensively, gaining a reputation as a premier live act throughout the early 1970s all across America, and later even in Europe. ''

Keep the Faith ''Keep the Faith'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on November 3, 1992, by Mercury Records. It is Bon Jovi's last studio album to feature all five original band members as bass guitarist Alec John Such was dis ...

'' followed in 1972, featuring the manic concert staple "Fever in My Mind". Drummer Wayne Evans left the band and was replaced by journeyman drummer

Tommy Aldridge Tommy Aldridge (born August 15, 1950) is an American heavy metal and hard rock drummer. He is noted for his work with numerous bands and artists since the 1970s, such as Black Oak Arkansas, Pat Travers Band, Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, Whitesna ...

on BOA's next release '' If an Angel Came to See You, Would You Make Her Feel at Home?'', which featured another enduring BOA concert favorite, "Mutants of the Monster" and expanded on the group's eclectic musical style. In 1973, Black Oak Arkansas released their fourth LP, '' Raunch 'n' Roll Live'', and took the rather unorthodox tack of including previously unreleased new songs on their first live concert album like "Gigolo", "Gettin' Kinda Cocky", as well as two more BOA classics: "Hot Rod", which features Dandy's sly double-entendre lyrics, and "Up", which spotlights Aldridge's marathon drum solo, a portion of which he played with his bare hands. The four new songs were originally recorded and intended to be included on the follow-up studio album to ''If an Angel Came to See You ...'', but when Atco Records realized the band's true strong suit was their concert act, the live album resulted. ''Raunch 'n' Roll Live'' was re-issued in 2007 by Rhino Records as a 2-CD set containing both concerts that the original vinyl album was culled from. The band's fifth album, '' High on the Hog'', also released in 1973, ended up being the high point of BOA's career, peaking at number 52 on the

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

albums chart. Ruby Starr also toured intermittently with Black Oak during this period, and her raspy voice can be heard on the group's remake of

LaVern Baker Delores LaVern Baker (November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997) was an American R&B singer who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were " Tweedle Dee" (1955), " Jim Dandy" (1956), and " ...

's 1957 hit " Jim Dandy (To The Rescue)", which reached number 25 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Baker's song was recorded at the suggestion of

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

, when he invited BOA to Graceland. The band was riding high on the concert trail as well by this time, headlining large venues like Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium and

Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway (previously known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009) is a motorsport complex located in Concord, North Carolina, outside Charlotte. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including t ...

, and the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no governm ...

in London, England. Black Oak Arkansas also played at the

California Jam California Jam (also known as Cal Jam) was a rock music festival co-headlined by Deep Purple and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, on April 6, 1974. It was produced by ABC Entertainment, Sandy Fel ...

festival in

Ontario, California Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County in the U.S. state of California, east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire metropolitan area, ...

on April 6, 1974. The concert attracted over 200,000 fans, and BOA appeared alongside

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped define ...

;

Eagles Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...

;

Emerson, Lake & Palmer Emerson, Lake & Palmer (informally known as ELP) were an English progressive rock supergroup formed in London in 1970. The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitar, producer) and Carl Palmer (drums, percussi ...

;

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Originally formed as ...

;

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million re ...

;

Seals and Crofts Seals and Crofts was an American soft rock duo made up of James Eugene Seals (October 17, 1942 – June 6, 2022) and Darrell George "Dash" Crofts (born August 14, 1938) They are best known for their hits " Summer Breeze" (1972), " Diamond Girl" ...

; and Rare Earth. Portions of the show were telecast on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

Television in the US, exposing the band to a wider audience. The follow-up to ''High on the Hog'', 1974's ''Street Party'' (featuring "Son of a Gun", "Hey Ya'll" and "Dixie", as well as a cover of the Motown classic "Dancing in the Street"), may have failed to maintain the momentum, but another 1974 release entitled ''Early Times'', a shelved Stax recording by The Knowbody Else (now released on the back of their success and under the BOA banner), made up for lost time. Guitarist Harvey Jett left the band after ''Street Party'' and was replaced by Jimmy "Soybean" Henderson in 1975 and he debuted on the band's final studio album for Atco Records, ''Ain't Life Grand''. This album included a snarly remake of

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian ...

's Beatles classic "

Taxman "Taxman" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album ''Revolver''. Written by the group's lead guitarist, George Harrison, with some lyrical assistance from John Lennon, it protests against the higher level of progress ...

", as well as new originals like "Fancy Nancy", "Rebel", "Good Stuff", "Cryin' Shame", and "Let Life Be Good to You". The band signed a contract with MCA and promptly released ''X-Rated'' later in 1975, which marked the beginning of Black Oak Arkansas's decline. In 1976, they released two fairly nondescript and unsuccessful albums for MCA, '' Balls of Fire'' and ''10 Yr Overnight Success'', the latter as a five-piece band with the departure of Rickie Reynolds, who was more or less replaced on tour by keyboardist Marius Penczner during this period. Also in 1976, Atco released a final BOA contractual-obligation album, the poorly-recorded but high-spirited ''Live! Mutha'', recorded on Mother's Day, 1975, in Long Beach, California. This recording saw a reappearance of Ruby Starr.

Black Oak

Following continued diminishing returns of the band's record sales (yet while still remaining a consistent concert draw), Mangrum dropped "Arkansas" from the group's name (in an attempt to downplay their Southern-ness) and replaced everyone except Henderson and even altering his own vocal style in an attempt to sound more mainstream (and ostensibly impress music critics in the process). The other members of the "Black Oak" lineup were Greg Reding (guitar and keyboards), Jack Holder (guitar), Andy Tanas (bass), and Joel Williams (drums). Black Oak released two albums on the struggling Capricorn Records, ''Race with the Devil'' in 1977 and ''I'd Rather Be Sailing'' the following year. Neither album sold well. In 1978, guitarist

Shawn Lane Shawn Lane (March 21, 1963 – September 26, 2003) was an American musician who released two studio albums and collaborated with a variety of musicians including Ringo Starr, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Reg ...

joined the band at age 14 and toured with the band for four years.

Post-Capricorn Records

In the early 1980s, Dandy temporarily left the band for health reasons, but Reynolds kept the band going with former Zorro bassist Jack Brumby, AW Zeugner, and Les John. Bob Simpson took on lead vocals at first, but was later replaced by Randy Ruff for almost three years, until Mangrum's return. In 1984, the band released '' Ready as Hell''. Though the name "Black Oak Arkansas" was on the album cover, "Jim Dandy" appeared above it in larger type, almost as if it were a solo effort. ''Ready as Hell'' featured a heavier sound with

pinch harmonics Playing a string harmonic (a flageolet) is a string instrument technique that uses the nodes of natural harmonics of a musical string to isolate overtones. Playing string harmonics produces high pitched tones, often compared in timbre to a whis ...

and keyboards featured throughout. The album was also Rickie Lee Reynolds's first recording with Mangrum since the MCA years. In 1986, '' The Black Attack Is Back'' continued the heavy style of the previous album and featured the particularly adventurous track "I Want A Woman With Big Titties". Again, "Jim Dandy" received top billing on the album cover (though "BOA"—the band's initials—did appear above the frontman's name). Like its predecessor, ''The Black Attack Is Back'' made no commercial headway. In 1992, the band released ''Rebound'', this time under the band's aegis, with similar results. Things changed little with 1999's ''The Wild Bunch'', which was released under the name "Jim Dandy's Black Oak Arkansas". However, an original member would rejoin Black Oak and appear on this album. Patrick "Dirty" Daugherty rejoined in 1995, rekindling the once-forgotten Black Oak Arkansas. This momentum brought on a surge of performances with other 70's greats such as Foghat, Iron Butterfly, Edgar Winter Group, and many more. During the early 2000s, original lead guitarist Stanley Knight would join them on the road, not playing guitar, but as their soundman. Pat left the band a second time in the mid-2000s. James Mangrum has continued recording and touring with a series of different Black Oak lineups, up to the present day.Black Oak Arkansas currently enjoys a loyal fan following.Jim Dandy is credited with inspiring

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead guit ...

frontman

David Lee Roth David Lee Roth (born October 10, 1954) is an American rock singer. Best known for his wild, energetic stage persona, he was the original lead vocalist of the hard rock band Van Halen across three stints, from 1974 to 1985, in 1996 and again fro ...

's image and onstage persona. In addition, in the 1980s former

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

State Representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United S ...

Chris Greeley Christian D. Greeley is a former representative in the Maine state legislature. He was a Republican. He represented District 22 in the House of Representatives for four consecutive two-year terms, from 2002 to 2010, at which point he was prohib ...

once 'opened' for them as a member of the

rock band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...

Toyz ''ToyZ'' is the second and final studio album by German glam rock band Cinema Bizarre. After their debut album, ''Final Attraction'' was a moderate hit, they began working on their second studio album. The first single from the album is called " ...

The return to Atlantic Records

The band released an album for

on October 15, 2013, titled ''Back Thar N' Over Yonder''. The album contained five newly recorded songs and 10 previously unreleased 1970s tracks which were produced by

Tom Dowd Thomas John Dowd (October 20, 1925 – October 27, 2002) was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multitrack recording method. Dowd worked on a veritable "who's who" of recordings ...

. The new songs featured a line-up of original and current members. Reunited originals Jim "Dandy" Mangrum, Rickie Lee "Risky" Reynolds, Pat "Dirty" Daugherty, and Jimmy "Soybean" Henderson, were joined by current drummer Johnnie Bolin, bassist George Hughen, guitarist Buddy Church and lead guitarist Hal McCormack. The first single off the record "Plugged In And Wired" was released August 26, 2013. The band toured to support the album.

Underdog Heroes

On May 24, 2019, Black Oak Arkansas released ''Underdog Heroes'', their first album consisting of all new recordings in 30 years. The album featured Mangrum, Reynolds, and Sammy B Seauphine who has been a member since 2014 and present.

List of classic band members

* James L. Mangrum (AKA

) – lead vocals, washboard (1968–early 1980s, 1983–present) * Rickie Lee "Risky"/"Ricochet" Reynolds – rhythm guitar, 12-string guitar, vocals (1965–1977, 1984–2021) * Harvey "Burley" Jett – lead guitar, banjo, piano, vocals (1965–1974) * Pat "Dirty" Daugherty – bass guitar, vocals (1965–1977, 1996–2002) * Wayne "Squeezebox" Evans – drums (1965–1972) * Stanley "Goober Grin" Knight – lead guitar, steel guitar, organ, vocals (1969–1976) *

– drums (1972–1976) Later joined

Pat Travers Patrick Henry Travers (born April 12, 1954) is a Canadian rock guitarist, keyboardist and singer who began his recording career in the mid-1970s. Early life Travers was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Soon after picking up the guitar at ag ...

Band; also played for

Gary Moore Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 19526 February 2011) was a Northern Irish musician. Over the course of his career he played in various groups and performed a range of music including blues, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and jazz fu ...

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...

, and

Whitesnake Whitesnake are an English hard rock band formed in London in 1978. The group was originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their own entit ...

, among others.

Current touring band members

* James L. Mangrum (AKA

) – lead vocals, guitar, washboard (1968–early 1980s, 1983–present) * Sammy B. Seauphine ("Lil Bit") – duet vocals, backing vocals, washboard (2013–present) * Tim Rossi – lead and rhythm guitarist, backing vocals(2021–present) * Kinley "Barney" Wolfe – bass guitar, backing vocals (1981–1983) (2021–present) * Sammi Jo Bishop – drums (2022)

Past members

* Randy Ruff – lead vocals, piano, organ (1980–1982) * Rickie Lee "Risky"/"Ricochet" Reynolds – rhythm guitar, 12-string guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1965–1977, 1984–2021) (died 2021) * Ruby Starr – duet vocals, backing vocals (1973–1976) (died 1995) * Pat "Dirty" Daugherty – bass guitar, vocals (1970–1977, 1996–2002) * Andy Tanas – bass guitar (1977–1979) * Dave Wilson – bass guitar (1979–1981) (died 2013) * George Hughen – bass guitar (1985–1996, 2002–2016) * Jimmy "Soybean" Henderson – guitar (1975–1979) (died 2016) * Deke Richards – guitar, piano (1977–1978) * Greg Reding – guitar, keyboards, vocals (1977–1979) * Jack Holder – guitar (1977–1979) (died 2015) *

– guitar (1978–1982) (died 2003) * Gavin Frisbee – guitar (1978–1980) *

Dave Amato David Paul Amato (born March 3, 1953) is an American musician, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band REO Speedwagon since May 1989. Early years He was born and raised near Framingham, Massachusetts. At age 11, his first band wa ...

– guitar (1980) * Mick Chelsvig – guitar (1980–1981) * Tony Bullard – guitar (1981–1982) * Robert Gregory – guitar (1985) * Angelo Earl – guitar (late 1980s) * Buddy Church – guitar (1989–1994, 2013–2016) (died 2016) * Harvey "Burley" Jett – lead guitar, banjo, piano, vocals (1970–1974) * Stanley "Goober Grin" Knight – lead guitar, steel guitar, organ, vocals (1970–1976) (died 2013) * Hal McCormack – lead guitar (2003–2016) * Kevin Rees – lead guitar (early 1980s) * John Roth – lead guitar (July 1986–October 1987, 1991) * Arthur Pearson – lead guitar, rhythm guitar (1989–present/on call) * Kevyn Williams – lead guitar (early 1990s) * Danny Leath – lead guitar (199?–????) * Rocky Athas – lead guitar (1996–2001) * Terry "Slydman" Powers – lead guitar (2000–2004) * Wayne "Squeezebox" Evans – drums (1970–1972) * Gary "GT" Taylor – drums (1970–1972) *

– drums (1972–1976) * Bobby "T" Torello – drums (1977) * Abel Ji McKnight – drums (1977–1982) * Joel Williams – drums (1977–1978) * Randii Meers – drums (1978–1979) * Les John – drums (1980–1981) * Chris Craig – drums (1979–1982) * Darrell Miller – drums (1970s) * Cozy Johnson – drums (early 1980s) * Paul Simmons – drums (1985–1986) * Victor Lukenbaugh – drums (1989–2016, 2018–2020) (died 2020) * Marius Penczner – keyboards (1975–1977) * David "Dave" Mayo – piano, bass guitar (1976) * Gary D. Rollins – keyboards (1978)

Session members

* Kenny Rodgers – guitar * Alex Among – guitar * Steve "The Axe" Nunenmacher – lead guitar, rhythm guitar (Ready As Hell) Later formed

Lillian Axe Lillian Axe is an American hard rock band from New Orleans, Louisiana, best known for its major label albums, ''Lillian Axe'', ''Love + War'', ''Poetic Justice'' and ''Psychoschizophrenia''. Originally formed in 1983, the group is still active ...

as 'Steve Blaze' * William Lemuel – bass guitar (Ready As Hell) * Jon "J.R."/"Thunder Paws" Wells – drums (Ready As Hell) * Billy Batte – keyboards, violin (Ready As Hell) * Michael "Narley Dude" Martin – lead guitar (The Black Attack Is Back) (died 2005) * Biff "The Beast" Bingham – 2nd lead guitar (Ready As Hell, The Black Attack Is Back) * Mike Farriss – bass guitar (The Black Attack Is Back) * Jerry A. Williams – drums (Ready As Hell, The Black Attack Is Back) * Garrett Bearden – drums (1980s) * Mickey "Tricky" Smith – drums, road tech

Deceased members

Singer Ruby Starr died of cancer on January 14, 1995. She had a soaring solo career as well as several of her own bands. Original Black Oak Arkansas guitarist Stanley Knight (born on February 12, 1949 in

Little Rock, Arkansas ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...

) died on February 16, 2013, four days after his 64th birthday following a brief battle with cancer. Black Oak-era guitarist Jack Holder (born Richard Jackson Holder Jr. on August 26, 1952) died from cancer on January 13, 2015, at the age of 62. Former guitarist Jimmy Henderson (born James David Henderson on May 20, 1954) died on March 5, 2016, at age 61. Original and long-time guitarist Rickie Lee Reynolds died September 5, 2021, after being hospitalized after a serious illness and then suffering from kidney and heart failure. Former lead guitarist Harvey Jett died on December 21, 2022, at the age of 73.

Timeline

Discography

Albums

The Knowbody Else

*''The Knowbody Else'' (Hip Records #HIS-7003 subsidiary of Stax Records October, 1969; reissued 2008 on Purple Pyramid/

Cleopatra Records Cleopatra Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1992 by Brian Perera. The record label has since grown into a family of labels, including Hypnotic Records, Purple Pyramid Records, ...

) *''Soldiers of Pure Peace'' (Arf! Arf! Music, November 13, 2012; demo material originally recorded in 1967)

Black Oak Arkansas

*'' Black Oak Arkansas'' (

, March, 1971) US No. 127,

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

Gold *''

'' (Atco, January, 1972) US No. 103 *'' If an Angel Came to See You, Would You Make Her Feel at Home?'' (Atco, June, 1972) US No. 93 *''Raunch 'N' Roll Live'' (Atco, February, 1973; recorded December 1 & 2, 1972) US No. 90, RIAA Gold *'' High on the Hog'' (Atco, September, 1973) US No. 52, RIAA Gold; Can. No. 81 *''Early Times'' (

, March, 1974; demo material originally recorded in 1968/1969 as The Knowbody Else) *''Street Party'' (Atco, July, 1974) US No. 56; Can No. 52 *''Ain't Life Grand'' (Atco, April, 1975) US No. 145 *''X-Rated'' ( MCA Records, September, 1975) US No. 99 *''Live! Mutha'' (Atco, January, 1976; recorded May 11, 1975) US No. 194; Can No. 90 *''Balls of Fire'' (MCA, May, 1976) US No. 173; Can No. 71 *''10 Yr Overnight Success'' (MCA, October, 1976) *''Rebound'' (Goldwax Records #GW-5003, 1991) *''King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents: Black Oak Arkansas'' (King Biscuit Flower Hour Records/BMG, March 10, 1998; recorded November 21, 1976 at the Reading Festival in England) *''Live on the King Biscuit Flower Hour'' (King Biscuit Entertainment/Pinnacle, September 27, 1999; reissue of the KBFH material...all 12 songs) *''Live'' (

EMI-Capitol Special Markets EMI-Capitol Special Markets was an EMI subsidiary handling distribution for special markets. It bought 3C Records in the early nineties. It later operated as EMI Music Marketing and EMI Music Distribution in North America but have since been ab ...

subsidiary of Capitol-EMI Records May 4, 2000; another reissue of the KBFH material minus 2 songs) *''Keep the Faith: Live Concert Performance'' (Disky Communications, 2001; yet another reissue of the KBFH material...all 12 songs) *''Live at Royal Albert Hall'' (S'More Entertainment, November 25, 2005; recorded 1975) *''The Complete Raunch 'N' Roll Live'' ( Rhino Handmade Records, 2007) 2CD *''Black Oak Arkansas...The Knowbody Else '69'' (Purple Pyramid/Cleopatra Records, 2008; reissue of Hip Records #HIS-7003) *''Back Thar N' Over Yonder'' (Atlantic/Atco Records, October 15, 2013; includes 5 new songs with 10 previously unreleased studio out-takes from 1972/1973/1974) *''Underdog Heroes'' (Purple Pyramid/Cleopatra Records, May 24, 2019) Note: all of BOA's original Atco albums have been reissued on CD by Wounded Bird Records in 2000/2001, except ''High On The Hog'', which has been reissued by Rhino Records; also note that in 2013, the first five Atco studio albums (''BOA'', ''Keep the Faith'', ''If an Angel Came to See You'', ''High on the Hog'', and ''Street Party'') were collected/reissued in a slipcase box set, titled ''Black Oak Arkansas: Original Album Series'' PC: 081227968373by Rhino Entertainment; and in 2021, seven albums (''X-Rated'', ''Live! Reading '76'' ''KBFH Presents: BOA'' ''Race with the Devil'', ''I'd Rather Be Sailing'', ''Ready as Hell'', ''The Black Attack is Back'', and ''Rebound'') were collected/reissued in another slipcase box set, titled ''Jim Dandy to the Rescue'' PC: 889466206726by Purple Pyramid/Cleopatra Records.

Jim Dandy (without BOA)

*''Flash Fearless Versus the Zorg Women, Parts 5 & 6'' (Chrysalis Records, 1975) -note: Jim Dandy sings 2 songs..."Country Cooking" and "Blast Off" on this various artists/original studio cast "comic book hero/rock opera" album.

Black Oak

*''Race with the Devil'' (

Capricorn Records Capricorn Records was an independent record label founded by Phil Walden and Frank Fenter in 1969 in Macon, Georgia. Capricorn Records is often credited by music historians as creating the southern rock genre. History Label and studio foun ...

, November, 1977) *''I'd Rather Be Sailing'' (Capricorn, June, 1978)

Jim Dandy's Black Oak Arkansas

*''Ready as Hell'' (Hacienda Records, 1984) *''The Black Attack is Back'' (Heavy Metal America Records, 1986) *''The Wild Bunch'' (Deadline/

, November 2, 1999) *''Top Musicians Play ZZ Top'' (Sleeping Giant Records, 2010) -note: Jim Dandy's BOA do just one song..." La Grange" on this various artists "tribute" album. *''Underdog Heroes'' (Cleopatra Records) May 24,2019

Compilations

* ''Hot and Nasty (The Best of Black Oak Arkansas)'' (Atlantic/WEA K 1974) -note: single LP with 12 tracks * ''The Best of Black Oak Arkansas'' (Atco, April, 1977) * '' Hot & Nasty: The Best of Black Oak Arkansas'' (

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Records, 1992) * '' 'Hot And Nasty' And Other Hits'' (Flashback/Rhino Records, 1997) * ''The Definitive Rock Collection'' (Atlantic/Rhino Records, October 17, 2006) 2-CD set

Charted Singles

*" Jim Dandy (To the Rescue)" (Atco, December, 1973; from the ''High on the Hog'' album) US No. 25; Can No. 12 *"Strong Enough to Be Gentle" (MCA, January, 1976; from the ''X-Rated'' album) US No. 89

Books

*''An Analysis of the Southern Rock and Roll Band 'Black Oak Arkansas' '' by Cecil Kirk Hutson (1996, Publisher: The Mellen, Edwin Press) *''Evil Thingies'' by Rickie Lee Reynolds of Black Oak Arkansas (2016, Publisher: Cowboy Buddha Publishing, LLC)

References

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083062030822

External links

Official Black Oak Arkansas WebsiteBlack Oak Arkansas @ MySpace.com
*Atlantic Record
Black Oak Arkansas Sign With Atlantic - News - Atlantic Records
* * {{Authority control 1963 establishments in Arkansas Rock music groups from Arkansas American southern rock musical groups Atco Records artists