38 Special (also written .38 Special and Thirty-Eight Special) is an American rock band named for the .38 Special pistol. Formed by vocalist Donnie Van Zant in 1975 in Jacksonville, Florida, the band initially had a straight-ahead Southern rock sound, much like Lynyrd Skynyrd, the band of Donnie's older brother Ronnie.
By the early 1980s, the band began incorporating elements of blues-rock and arena rock into their sound, kicking off a string of successful albums and singles.
Among 38 Special's best-known songs are "Caught Up in You" (1982) and "If I'd Been the One" (1983), both of which hit #1 on Billboard magazine's album rock chart, and "Second Chance" (1989), a #1 hit on Billboard's adult contemporary chart. Their other hit singles include "Hold on Loosely" (1981) and "Back Where You Belong" (1984).
The current lineup is comprised of guitarist and lead singer Don Barnes, vocalist Donnie Van Zant, guitarist Danny Chauncey, bassist Larry Junstrom, keyboardist Bobby Capps, and drummer Gary Moffatt.
In 2006, .38 Special was voted the 3rd best "Southern Rock Band of All-time" as voted on by the listeners of 105.3FM in Birmingham. (The Fabulous Thunderbirds were #1 followed by Lynyrd Skynyrd) |
