Born and raised in the neighbouring hamlets of small town of Black Oak, Arkansas, school friends Jim 'Dandy' Mangrum and Ricky Reynolds formed their first band whilst in High School. September 1965 witnessed the group's first live show at Reynolds Park Community Centre in Pasragould, Arkansas. During 1969, after having been finally chased out of town thanks to a reputation for hell raising and ripping off the neighbourhood in order to pawn their ill-gotten gains for new band equipment the boys wound up in New Orleans.

Relocated, the group (originally known as THE KNOWBODY ELSE) was signed to Hip Records and issued a self-titled album (re-issued by the Stax label in 1974 as 'The Early Times') before attracting the interest of the Atlantic label after a show in Los Angeles. By the time they released their major label debut in 1971, produced by the IRON BUTTERFLY duo of MIKE PINERA and Larry Dorman at Paramount Recording Studios and Gold Star Recording Studios in Hollywood, California, the group had changed their name to BLACK OAK ARKANSAS in honour of their roots.

The initial BLACK OAK ARKANSAS roster included vocalist Jim 'Dandy' Mangrum, guitarist Rickie 'Ricochet' Reynolds, guitarists Stan 'Goober' Knight and Harvey 'Burley' Jett, bassist Pat 'Dirty' Daugherty and drummer Wayne 'Squeezebox' Evans. The debut album struck an immediate chord with the American Rock public; especially the renewed attitude the band gave the GUY MITCHELL hit 'Singin' The Blues'. Touring to promote the record included support dates to GRAND FUNK RAILROAD before the band journeyed to Florida to cut follow up 'Keep The Faith'.

Evans was replaced by Nashville born Tommy 'Dork Jackson' Aldridge during 1972 and he took his place on tour that summer during which the live set 'Raunch And Roll - Live' was captured. Some sources have suggested that Aldridge had previously recorded with a band signed to Capitol called DAVID AND THE GIANTS whom also included keyboard player Gregg Giuffria.

The third album, 'If An Angel Came To See You, Would You Make Her Feel At Home?' would be also crafted during 1972, working with producer Tom Dowd at Criteria Studios, Miami, Florida. The band's fourth set, 'Raunch n' Roll Live' was recorded by Dowds once again on tour in Portland and Seattle.

The band kept up a hectic schedule of recording and touring throughout the early 70's. Highlights included a British tour opening for BLACK SABBATH, although the good ol' BBC mysteriously banned the 'High On The Hog' album's 'Jim Dandy To The Rescue'! This album also marked the introduction of Mangrum discovery RUBY STARR to the band, guest vocalising on the track 'Jim Dandy'. A singer managed by BLACK OAK ARKANSAS mentor Butch Stone, she had been discovered by the singer working in a bar in Evansville, Indiana and had been tapped by Mangrum to appear on the aforementioned 'Jim Dandy To The Rescue' before signing to Capitol as a solo artist.

A further line-up change occurred after the 'Street Party' album, ex-BLOODROCK guitarist Jimmy Henderson replacing Harvey Jett. Henderson had recently worked with RUBY STARR.

On April 6th the group featured on the billing of the historical Ontario Raceway 'California Jam' festival sharing billing with BLACK SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE, EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER, RARE EARTH, THE EAGLES, EARTH, WIND & FIRE and SEALS & CROFT, playing to an audience of over quarter of a million people. In May BLACK OAK ARKANSAS travelled to the UK to act as openers for BLACK SABBATH. The band toured Europe that same year with support acts STACKRIDGE and SASSAFRAS. In 1975 BLACK OAK ARKANSAS left Atlantic for pastures new at MCA Records, 'Ain't Life Grand' being their parting shot on the former label. The first album of the MCA contract, 'X Rated', arrived in the stores later in the year. Atlantic offered the 'Live Mutha' album the following year whilst a second MCA record, 'Balls Of Fire' followed.

During 1976 BLACK OAK ARKANSAS were augmented with the full-time talents of Ruby Starr. Having released three albums in the interim ('Ruby Starr', 'Grey Ghost' and 'Scene Stealer', the latter two of which find Tommy Aldridge guesting), Starr made her live debut at no less a gig than at the huge California Jam event.

Unfortunately, 1976 also marked the departure of Tommy Aldridge. The drummer had seemingly wanted out of the band for some two years but was unable to quit due to the nature of his contract. As Aldridge went off to work with PAT TRAVERS, BLACK OAK ARKANSAS recruited Joel Williams from CABOOSE, TARGET and RUBY STARR's GREY GHOST in his place and begin to pursue slightly different musical avenues with the addition of the all-girl backing group HOT BUTTERED SOUL live.

However, by 1977 Mangrum remained the sole original member as Reynolds, Daugherty and Knight all followed Aldridge out of the door to be replaced by Greg Reding, Andy Tanas and ex-HOT DOGS guitarist Jack Holder respectively, all three appearing on 'Race With The Devil'.

This was the first album in a new deal with the Atlanta, Georgia based Capricorn Records. A second album with the label, 'I'd Rather Be Sailing' appeared later the same year before BLACK OAK ARKANSAS went into exile, mainly due to a heart attack suffered by Mangrum in 1980!

Guitarist Jack Holder turned up in the Butch Stone managed Hard Rock outfit COBRA in 1983 with whom he recorded the 'First Strike' album on Epic. Holder later worked with the AOR / Pop Rock outfit DRAMA and EDDIE DEGARMO.

Andy Tanas would be drafted into another of Butch Stone's 80s interests, Swiss Metal band KROKUS, for a short term of employment in 1984.

JIM DANDY would be reunited with Ricky Reynolds for Dandy's own 'Ready As Hell' album. The BLACK OAK ARKANSAS moniker was unable to be used at the time due to a number of legal wrangles. The duo stuck together for the full bore BLACK OAK ARKANSAS release 'The Black Attack Is Back' in the 80s.

There was a rumour circulating at the time of IAN GILLAN's enrollment into BLACK SABBATH that Jim Mangrum's name had been bandied around in connection with the vacancy prior to the ex-DEEP PURPLE vocalist landing the job.

In the latter half of 1991 Mangrum was involved in a bad car accident in which he sustained three broken vertebrae and wasn't expected to be able to walk again. However, the singer made a miraculous recovery and was performing again by the spring of 1992.

During 1996 BLACK OAK ARKANSAS toured with FOGHAT, MOUNTAIN, IRON BUTTERFLY and HEAD EAST. The group was still active, albeit on the bar circuit, the following year with a line-up comprising Jim Dandy, Rick Reynolds, Pat Daugherty, guitarist Rocky Athas and drummer Johnnie Bolin. The latter is the brother of late DEEP PURPLE guitarist TOMMY BOLIN and had previously recorded with DVC, amongst others, back in 1981.

A brand new incarnation of BLACK OAK ARKANSAS put together a new studio album. Meantime, Harvey Jett turned up in 1996 in a Christian outfit titled BAND OF GOLD. In 1998 the group were the subject of one of the latest in a string of popular live album releases culled from the 'King Biscuit Flower Hour' concert series vaults.

Of all the BLACK OAK ARKANSAS members Tommy Aldridge has enjoyed perhaps the most illustrious career. After leaving the band, the drummer worked with PAT TRAVERS, OZZY OSBOURNE, MARS PROJECT DRIVER, HOUSE OF LORDS, WHITESNAKE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and MANIC EDEN. 2000 found the drummer as a member of ELEMENTS OF FRICTION.

The 2004 touring line-up of BLACK OAK ARKANSAS comprised Jim Dandy, guitarists Rickie Lee Reynolds and Terry Powers, bassist Pat Daugherty with Johnnie Bolin on drums.