All Photos: Alan Mercer Lighting: Eric V.
James Mangrum, better known as Jim "Dandy" Mangrum, is the lead singer and front man for the American Southern hillbilly psycho-boogie rock band ‘Black Oak Arkansas.’ He is noted for his raspy voice, long hair, and wild, sexually-explicit stage antics which sometimes includes 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 and Axel Rose of 'Guns n Roses.’ The band reached the height of its fame in the 1970‘s with ten charting albums released in that decade.
Jim was born in the town of Benton Harbor, Michigan. He was raised a Southern Baptist in the town of Black Oak, Arkansas. He attended Monette High School, in Monette, Arkansas, where he reportedly stood up in Mrs. Billie Layne's civics class wrote a '0' on top of his assignment, brought to it her desk and told her he was quitting school. She told him that he would not make a living without an education to which he responded "I'll make more money than you will in your lifetime.”
While in high school, Jim joined a band named ‘The Knowbody Else.’ In 1966, Jim 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. Jim 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.’ One of the songs from the album, ‘Jim Dandy To The Rescue,’ which was a cover of the 1957 LaVern Baker song, reached number 25 in the Billboard charts, and became their best known single and Jim's signature song. It also featured female vocalist Ruby Starr, who traded off vocals with Jim. It was actually Elvis Presley who suggested to Jim that the group record the song.
In late 1991, Jim was involved in a car accident, and broke three vertebrae, however by 1992, he had recovered, and was back performing. The band released an album ‘The Wild Bunch’ in 1999.
Jim Dandy continues to record and tour with a series of different Black Oak Arkansas lineups in the present day. Original member Rickie Lee Reynolds is still with the group as well. Atlantic records just released their newest work, ‘Back Thar n’ Over Yonder’ last week.
AM: Jim, you are a bonafide Rock Star! When did you know that’s what you wanted to do with your life?
JDM: I saw Elvis Presley on Ed Sullivan when I was a kid. He looked like he was having more fun than any human I had ever seen. I wanted his job but I didn’t realize I was saying I wanted to be a Rock Star.
AM: Did you want to be anything other than a Rock Star?
JDM: The only thing I wanted to be more than a Rock Star was a stockcar driver. My cousin did that. I wanted to do it too, burning rubber and drag racing. That all started with the movie ‘Thunder Road’ and Robert Mitchum.
AM: A lot of your early songs are about sex, drugs and living in the country. Is that what you cared about then?
JDM: I’ve learned something. Anything you do too much loses it’s specialness. I’m not saying you should only do it when you want to have babies. That’s the way my Mama was. I wanted people to not feel guilty about doing what is “Nature taking it’s course.” Let’s talk about ‘Hot and Nasty.’ Rickie and I were laughing the whole time we wrote it. It was just a joke.
AM: You were also famous for all your female groupies.
JDM: We would always pick out the girls we wanted before the show. It seems like I always got the blondes.
AM: Are blondes your preference?
JDM: It’s not that I think blondes are the only sexy ones. I’ve seen women who were bald headed, in the Hot Buttered Soul Singers, that were so sexy. Beautiful Black women that sang with us on ‘All My Troubles.’ I realized they could be purple and bald headed and still be beautiful.
AM: I know of that group.
JDM: The lead singer sang for Isaac Hayes on his ‘Hot Buttered Soul’ album.
AM: Did you have to watch what you said and wrote about back then?
JDM: Rickie always said we were going to get in trouble because I always said the things other people are afraid to say. We wrote about a lot of different subjects. My Daddy used to say, “Jim if you’re gonna play music, play Country because they will grow old with you.” Now Rock n’ Roll can do that too, thanks to The Rolling Stones.
AM: A lot of the legendary Rock and Country Stars really liked you and endorsed you didn’t they? I know Waylon Jennings liked you.
JDM: Waylon loved me before he ever met me and I’m very thankful for that.
AM: Elvis Presley was good to you as well.
JDM: Elvis liked me and was nice to me when he didn’t have to be. That’s true.
AM: I have loved Ruby Starr forever. I know you must miss her still.
JDM: She’s been gone over twenty years now. I used to talk to her every day. She died from an inoperable brain tumor. That’s very painful. (Jim’s eyes tear up) She was a spitfire.
AM: You obviously care deeply for people.
JDM: If you think about others and you take the time to remember the golden rule, which makes most people feel vulnerable, you will treat others the way you want to be treated.
AM: How did you learn this?
JDM: I had very good parents and grand parents. They taught me good. Everybody didn’t have the same standards I did.
AM: I’m so excited about your new album. Do you like it?
JD: You know in the past when we had a new record out I was always over it and ready to start writing more songs for the next album, but this time it’s different. I’m very excited and enthusiastic about the new songs. We also have ten songs from the 70‘s that were found in the vault produced by the legendary Tom Dowd, who also produced Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Bobby Darin and Aretha Franklin and so many more great artists.
AM: Now with your new album out, are you going to tour all over?
JDM: Anywhere they will let me. I was not right for a while. I think I was afraid of growing old. I lived very dangerously. Here I am now at sixty-five and I was seventeen two weeks ago. It just flies by so fast.
AM: Do you notice being sixty-five?
JDM: I want to feel it. I’ve always wanted to be the age I am. Today is the day I wake up. Yesterday is a rumor and tomorrow never comes. I live for today. I’m not trying to die but I’m not going to live forever either. My Daddy is 90 years old and he is getting things right. My Mama is gone now for two years and I miss her bad. It’s been a tough two years.
AM: Are you a spiritual person Jim?
JDM: It’s a free universe. We were able to change the whole world but that doesn’t give us the right to think we are better as a species. We didn’t create God, he created us. He gave us free will as a gift. It can feel like a curse but it’s supposed to be a gift. We went berserk when we were gifted with free will. I’m about freedom of speech and individualism and to be a strong individual.
To learn more about Jim Dandy and Black Oak Arkansas visit their web site http://www.blackoakarkansas.net/