38 Special

The Jacksonville, Florida-based Southern rock band .38 Special emerged in the mid-1970s alongside numerous peers shaped by the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Donnie Van Zant, brother of Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant, handled lead vocals when he assembled the group in 1974 with Jeff Carlisi on guitar, Don Barnes on guitar and vocals, bassist Ken Lyons, drummer Jack Grondin, and drummer Steve Brookins. After signing with A&M Records three years later, they issued their self-titled debut album, which, like the follow-up Special Delivery, drew modest notice. Steady touring gradually expanded their audience. Lyons departed before the sessions for 1979’s Rockin’ into the Night, which introduced a more melodic and forceful direction; Larry Junstrom took over on bass. That record achieved moderate chart traction, yet 1981’s Wild-Eyed Southern Boys became their first genuine success, earning platinum certification and spawning the Top 40 single “Hold On Loosely.”

Special Forces, released in 1982, climbed even higher and delivered the Top Ten hit “Caught Up in You.” Tour de Force followed in 1983 and Strength in Numbers in 1986, both sustaining strong sales while the band remained a reliable concert draw. Barnes and Brookins exited in 1987, with Danny Chauncey replacing Barnes on guitar. Although Strength in Numbers sold respectably, it did not linger on the charts as long as earlier releases. The 1987 compilation Flashback performed only adequately, prompting the band to adopt a slicker approach on Rock & Roll Strategy. Issued in 1989, that album slowly gained traction through the adult-contemporary ballad “Second Chance,” which reached the Top Ten and marked their final major commercial peak.

Barnes rejoined in 1991 as the lineup added drummer Scott Hoffman and keyboardist Bobby Capps. Despite the refreshed roster and a new deal with Charisma Records, Bone Against Steel failed to attract significant attention. Six years elapsed before Resolution appeared on Razor & Tie Records in the summer of 1997. Live at Sturgis followed on CMC in 1999. Early popularity had begun to erode in the late 1980s when MTV-driven pop and heavy metal claimed much of their audience, and after the ballad success of 1989 the group gradually receded to the oldies circuit. Their early-1980s run had produced a string of hit albums and singles, among them “If I’d Been the One,” “Back Where You Belong,” and “Like No Other Night.”