Southern rock star Knight dies

Black Oak Arkansas guitarist remembered as humble

— Stanley Glen Knight, lead guitarist for Black Oak Arkansas from 1969-76, didn’t become accustomed to the rock star lifestyle right away.

Bandmate and lifelong friend Pat Daugherty told of a time in 1970, before the band made it big, when the group members moved to Los Angeles and woke up one morning to find Knight missing.

“We called his parents and found out he had them wire money to the Western Union, and he hitchhiked 10 miles to get the money, got a plane ticket and was already back in Jonesboro that night,” Daugherty said, laughing at the memory.

“It was a little much for Stanley. He had never been out of Arkansas, but he eventually came back,” Daugherty said.

Knight died of cancer at his Jonesboro home Saturday. He was 64.

Knight was not only the lead guitarist but also sang, and played the steel guitar, organ and other instruments as he traveled the nation and much of Europe with the band.

The group, best-known for their lead singer Jim “Dandy” Mangrum, had three gold albums, broke several attendance records, and kicked off its fame in 1971 with the release of its self-titled album.

“Stanley will be remembered as a legendary Southern rock guitarist,” original band member Harvey Jett said. “He was one of the best players I ever heard.”

Knight was one of the first lap steel guitarists in the rock genre. Jett remembered a time when a man contacted him to return a red Gibson guitar that the man had stolen from Knight at a show in New York years before.

“The man had cancer and wanted to right his wrong,” Jett said. “He took the guitar at a show in ’73 and returned it around ’95. I called up Stanley and said, ‘You’re not going to believe this.’ He was tickled to death.”

Though he lived a flamboyant life in the band’s heyday, band members described Knight as gentle and quiet. He married Brenda Posey Knight in 2007 and never talked much about his days in the band.

“He wasn’t very showy. He didn’t really say a whole lot about it. That was in his past, and he had moved forward,” his wife said.

Knight spent the latter part of his life leisurely, hosting cookouts for friends, going camping and spending his time outdoors.

“He was just a very quiet, humble, nonchalant person,” his wife said. “He didn’t want any fuss. He was just an everyday guy.”

Funeral services for Knight were held Thursday in Bono.

Arkansas, Pages 12 on 02/22/2013

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