calsfoundation@cals.org
June 29, 2010
Small in body but large in voice, Ruby Starr was the only female member of the 1970s rock group Black Oak Arkansas. Born Constance Meirzwiak in 1949, she was spotted by Black Oak Arkansas lead singer Jim Mangrum while singing in an Indiana bar in 1971. She accepted an invitation to join the band, changed her name to Ruby Starr, and toured with the band for the next few years. She is best known for her vocals on the group’s only top-thirty hit, “Jim Dandy.”