38 Special was born over four decades ago, in one of the neighborhoods in Jacksonville in 1975 when Don Barnes and Donnie Van Zant decided to put together a southern rock band. 38 Special is known for their diverse style in music and performance as their sound combines AOR and country with little bit of boogie and blues which has made them into world renowned Southern rock act and a crowd favorite during the ‘80s.
Founding members of 38 Special, Jeff Carlisi, Don Barnes & Donnie Van Zant (guitars), Ken Lyons (bass), Jack Grondin (drums), and Steve Brookins (drums), all lived a few blocks away from each other. After touring relentlessly, in 1977 they signed a contract with A&M Records and released self-titled debut and second album Special Delivery through them. Unfortunately, although both were solid southern rock masterpieces, they failed to generate any remarkable sales. Band’s third album, Rockin’ Into the Night, lifted the title track into charts, but it was the follow up album Wild-Eyed Southern Boys, that moved 38 Special up into platinum sales with hit singles: “Hold On Loosely” and “Fantasy Girl“.
38 Special kept releasing successful albums and drew huge concert attendance through the 80’s and even gained chart topping hit in 1989 with “Second Chance“, but while MTV started to play more glam rock oriented music and audiences taste changing at end of the decade, 38 Special’s popularity slowly started to fade.
Not ones to give up, 38 Special has kept touring through the years and regularly draws huge crowds across US. At the present, band consists of Barnes, Van Zant, Danny Chauncey (guitars), Larry Junstrom (bass), Bobby Capps (keyboards) and the most recent addition Gary Moffat on drums. Individually, these guys are capable of producing wonderful music. Together, they create masterpieces like latest 38 Special album, Drivetrain, showed us all.
38 Special videos
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38 Special Discography:1977 38 Special
1978 Special Delivery
1980 Rockin’ Into the Night
1981 Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
1982 Special Forces
1983 Tour de Force
1986 Strength in Numbers
1987 Flashback: The Best of 38 Special
1988 Rock & Roll Strategy
1991 Bone Against Steel
1997 Resolution
1999 Live at Sturgis
2001 Wild-Eyed Christmas Night
2004 Drivetrain
2010 Authorized Bootleg: Nassau Coliseum Uniondale
2011 Live from Texas
Links:
Official website: www.38special.com