Jim Dandy

The Zoo Crew is spinning the classic track Jim Dandy by Black Oak Arkansas from their 1973 album High on the Hog, and Zoo Freaks, this one’s got some wild stories behind it! This song, a cover of LaVern Baker’s 1955 R&B hit, was suggested to the band by none other than Elvis Presley himself, who told frontman Jim “Dandy” Mangrum to give it a spin. In a 2014 interview with South Bend Tribune, Mangrum recalled Elvis saying he didn’t even know the song existed until The King pointed it out. The band’s producer, Tom Dowd, and label president Ahmet Ertegun were also about to suggest the same track, making it a cosmic moment for the band. Their version, featuring Mangrum trading vocals with the fiery Ruby Starr, hit #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became their signature anthem, with its gritty Southern rock vibe and Mangrum’s raspy, larger-than-life delivery.

Another juicy tidbit comes from the song’s cultural impact. The Black Oak Arkansas recording of Jim Dandy was featured in the 1993 cult classic film Dazed and Confused, cementing its place in rock history. According to a 2011 No Depression interview, Mangrum noted that the song’s success helped the band play massive gigs, like the 1974 California Jam, where they rocked out for over 200,000 fans alongside legends like Black Sabbath and The Eagles. The track’s raw energy and Mangrum’s flamboyant stage antics—often in tight white spandex—made it a biker rally favorite, with fans going wild at events like Sturgis, as guitarist Rickie Lee Reynolds shared in a 2016 Louder feature. Mangrum’s washboard, a quirky staple of their live shows, even got a shoutout in a 2025 X post by user JamesGrundvig, calling it a unique instrument in rock.

Black Oak Arkansas got its start in the small town of Black Oak, Arkansas, in 1963, when Jim Mangrum and classmate Rickie Lee Reynolds formed a band called The Knowbody Else. Born on March 30, 1948, in Benton Harbor, Michigan, Mangrum was raised in Black Oak after his family returned to Arkansas. A Southern Baptist kid with a rebellious streak, he and Reynolds bonded over their love for music, rehearsing in a bean elevator at a local cotton gin, as noted in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. The band built a local following playing venues like Reynolds Park in Paragould. Their early years weren’t without trouble— in 1966, Mangrum and bandmates were arrested for stealing musical equipment from two high schools, facing a 26-year sentence at Tucker Prison Farm, but it was suspended. They left Arkansas for New Orleans, then Memphis, before landing in Los Angeles in 1970, where they signed with Atco Records and became Black Oak Arkansas.

The band’s big break came with their 1971 self-titled debut, blending hard rock, Dixie boogie, and country vibes, with Mangrum’s gravelly voice and wild stage presence—long blond hair and all—setting them apart. By 1973, High on the Hog became their peak, hitting #52 on the Billboard charts, driven by Jim Dandy. Ahmet Ertegun personally signed them, one of only five bands he handpicked, as Reynolds proudly shared on the band’s official website. Over the years, they’ve toured with icons like The Rolling Stones, KISS, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, and raised hundreds of thousands for charities, earning a “Black Oak Arkansas Day” declared by the state on October 6. Mangrum, the sole original member still rocking, has kept the band alive with new lineups, releasing Underdog Heroes in 2019 and The Devil’s Jukebox in 2023.

Zoo Freaks can stay connected with Black Oak Arkansas through their official website and social media. Check out their Facebook for tour updates and throwback posts, like their Royal Albert Hall performance of Jim Dandy. Their Instagram shares gritty photos and fan love, while their X account keeps the conversation rolling with news and quips from Mangrum. Fans can also join the Black Oak Arkansas Fan Club on Facebook, a vibrant group where devotees swap stories, rare photos, and memories of epic live shows. For more history and updates, the fan-run Black Oak Arkansas: Out of the Ashes site, curated by Rickie Lee Reynolds, is a treasure trove of band lore and community vibes.