• 1974-

  Don BarnesVocals, guitar1974-1987, 1992-

  Donnie Van ZantVocals, guitar1974-2013

  Jeff CarlisiGuitar1974-1997

  Ken LyonsBass1974-1977

  Steve BrookinsDrums1974-1987

  Jack GrondinDrums1974-1991

  Larry JunstromBass1977-2014

  Max CarlVocals, keyboards1987-1992

  Danny ChaunceyGuitar, keyboards1987-2019

  Bobby CappsKeyboards, vocals1991-

  Gary MoffattDrums1996-
• 38 Special had more hits than you remember. Their big ones are "Hold on Loosely," "Caught Up In You" and "Second Chance," but they had 15 songs crack the Hot 100.
• Their signature sound consists of pulsating guitar eighth notes (best heard on "Hold on Loosely") combined with relatable lyrics that draw the listener in.
  
  "We call it melody and muscle," Don Barnes told Songfacts. "You've got that muscular guitar and a good melody over the top and a good little story."
• A .38 Special is a gun commonly used by police officers when the band formed in 1974. They chose the name after an incident at their rehearsal space when lawmen raided the place, thinking something illegal was going on. One of the cops told them to walk outside, "or these .38 Specials would do the talking." The band were using the name Skin Tight but decided 38 Special was better, so they went with it. Some of the cops in that raid ended up working security for the band later on.
• The band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, which had a tight-knit musical community in the 1970s that included The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet. It's a port town with a big Navy presence, so these bands had opportunities to play for sailors.
  
  "We would entertain these sailors who were on leave," Don Barnes said on the Songfacts Podcast. "We were underage, playing Santana and Young Rascals songs and Three Dog Night and all the hits of the day, radio songs. We'd watch them - sailors on leave, drinking and fighting and stuff."
• Their longtime singer/guitarist, Donnie Van Zant, is the younger brother of Lynyrd Skynyrd's founding frontman, Ronnie Van Zant. Donnie's younger brother, Johnny Van Zant, took over as lead singer for Skynyrd when the band re-formed after Ronnie's death. Donnie left the band in 2013 for health reasons - he was dealing with inner-ear nerve damage.
• They write most of their own songs, but some of their hits have writing contributions from Jim Peterik, a longtime member of Survivor who is good friends with the guys in 38 Special. They also have two chart hits co-written by Bryan Adams: "Teacher, Teacher" (used in the 1984 Nick Nolte film Teachers) and "Back to Paradise" (used in the 1987 movie Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise).
• Many of their early songs have Donnie Van Zant on lead vocals, but Don Barnes, whose voice is more polished and radio-friendly, sang lead on most of their hits. When he left the group in 1987 (citing burnout) he was replaced by Max Carl, who is the lead singer on "Second Chance." Barnes returned to the group in 1992.
• Until 1987 when Steve Brookins left the group, they had two drummers, a common configuration for Southern rock bands.
• 38 Special have toured pretty consistently since their inception, but after Drivetrain in 2004, they stopped making albums until 2025, when they issued Milestone. Why the break from recording? "It takes months of preparation," Don Barnes explained to Songfacts. "It's a lot of effort. Going out and doing shows that are already practiced and rehearsed is a lot easier."

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