By Thomas Semioli

“I was sitting on a mountain top. 30,000 feet to drop. Spied a lady on a runaway horse, Uh huh, that’s right, of course. Jim Dandy to the rescue!”

 James Mangrum was/is larger than life, and his band, known as Black Oak Arkansas, were a mighty ensemble (which included drummer Tommy Aldridge at one point) that unmercifully mashed boogie, rhythm and blues, and hard rock.

A versatile, strumming plectrum player, bassist Pat “Dirty” Daugherty anchored the band’s classic line-up, often switching gears from soulful in-the-pocket passages to raucous riffage within same song.   His primary weapons of choice were a modified Fender Jazz bass, Ampeg and Gibson EB.

Dig Black Oak at the height of their fame on Rock Concert and at California Jam 1974 https://youtu.be/1FK1yci_gIo