.38 Special Profile - Southern Rockers Turned Arena Rock Hitmakers

In the realm of rock history, .38 Special has sometimes been viewed as an afterthought, a footnote of the Southern rock genre that sold itself out to mainstream pop commercial impulses. After all, guitarist Donnie Van Zant's brother Ronnie posthumously became an overwhelmingly popular and influential musical icon as the leader of Lynyrd Skynyrd, a band that has since become legendary. The truth of the matter presents a far more flattering portrait of .38 Special, a mainstream arena rock band of surprising originality.

Formed in 1975 in the midst of Southern rock's heyday, the Florida-based band initially had difficulty distinguishing itself from the pack. But although the group has often been accused of adopting a commercial formula by decade's end, it's possible that it simply took five years for the band to find its own signature sound. In essence, .38 Special sounded far more original once it adopted a poppier sound for 1980's Rockin' Into the Night. The new sound was somehow formulaic without being contrived.

By the release of 1981's Wild-Eyed Southern Boys, the band had perfected a magical brew that allowed the .38 Special dual guitar attack to mesh seamlessly with frequent lead singer Don Barnes' powerful but clear vocal style. And the group's songwriting continued to tighten and improve, churning out classic rock and pop radio gems like "Hold On Loosely" and "Fantasy Girl". During the band's core period between 1980 and 1986, .38 Special enjoyed seven Top 40 pop singles and major airplay on rock radio.

Ironically, the group earned its biggest hit when Max Carl took over lead vocals on 1988's ubiquitous and sappy "Second Chance." On the surface, the move brought success, but it also served as a death knell for the version of .38 Special that exhibited artistic vision. Personnel changes and spotty album releases ushered the band through the '90s before a nearly obligatory 21st century comeback album in 2004.