The band grew from a boyhood bond forged in Black Oak and other small towns nearby. Jim "Dandy" Mangrum and Ricky Reynolds played in high school together. Early in the bands career, they were signed to Stax Records, as The Knowbody Else, and released the album Early Times. The band got signed to Atlantic records when a representative of the label caught a Los Angeles concert. That's when they changed their name to Black Oak Arkansas. The bands Atco debut featured Mangrum, Reynolds, bassist Pat Daugherty, guitarist Harvey Jett, drummer Wayne Evans, and guitarist Stan Knight. Jett was replaced by Jimmy Henderson and Evans was replaced by Tommy Aldridge. The initial Atco Lp's were laden with driving, guitar based rock and mystical lyrics. Listen to the saints-and-sinners sermon Mangrum delivers on "Lord Have Mercy On My Soul", the tale of "Mutants of The Monster", or the simple plea "Keep The Faith". But the group was hardly a gospel choir; in a hint of what was to come, the debut contained the sexual "Hot And Nasty". With constant touring and LP's being released every six months, the work would have broken lesser souls fast. Especially today when bands take five years to record albums. Fast living for many years took its toll on the band and by 1977, Mangrum was the lone original member. After recording Race With The Devil and I'd Rather Be Sailing, Reynolds joined the band again and they released two albums in the 80's, Ready As Hell, and The Black Attack I s Back. Mangrum suffered three broken vertebrae in a car accident in late 1991 and was expected to never walk again. But that didn't stop him. By the spring of '92 he was performing again. The band lineup now includes 3 original members, Dandy, Reynolds, and Pat Daugherty, along with new members Rocky Athas and Johnnie Bolin. They currently have a new CD recorded and are working on a record deal. Look for it in 1998 and prepare once again to get Hot and Nasty!!