38 Special – Monday Aug. 10, 2026

50 years together. 20 million albums sold. More than 15 albums of guitar-driven southern rock, stacked high with hits like “Hold On Loosely,” “Caught Up In You,” “If I’d Been The One,” “Back Where You Belong,” and “Second Chance.” 38 Special is proof that there’s strength in numbers.

Formed in 1974 in Jacksonville, Florida by frontman Don Barnes and co-founder Donnie Van Zant, the band toured relentlessly from the start, sharpening the explosive live show that’s been their calling card for a half-century. Their blend of muscle and melody — those arena-rock hooks — became staples of FM radio, and five decades later they’re still hitting 100 cities a year and leaving crowds breathless.

As the band enters its sixth decade, the music continues with Milestone — their first studio album in more than 20 years. Recorded live-in-the-studio between tour dates, it reunites Barnes with longtime collaborator Jim Peterik (co-writer of “Hold On Loosely” and “Caught Up In You”) and features guests including Train’s Pat Monahan and Randy Bachman of The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive. As Barnes puts it: “We don’t slack up, we stack up.”

Today’s lineup — Don Barnes, lead guitarist Jerry Riggs, drummer Gary Moffatt, keyboardist Bobby Capps, and bassist Barry Dunaway — brings the same high-energy party that built the band’s legend. After 50 years of hits, highways, and battle-tested brotherhood, the ride isn’t over.