Except for a 5-year split from 1987 until 1992, Don Barnes has been singer and guitarist in 38 Special since 1974.If you go
- What: 38 Special - When: 9:30 p.m. tonight - Where: Coca-Cola Stage
The Navy bars and clubs of Jacksonville, Fla., in the 1970s were the testing grounds for the city's novice bands. Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers Band and 38 Special, who headlines Riverbend tonight, are just a few.
"We played in about 15 other bands before 38 Special," says Don Barnes, the band's lead singer and guitarist. "38 was the final attempt to really make a go for it and stay serious and rehearse every day.
"Coming from that area, we could see that the Allmans had already taken off, and Lynyrd Skynyrd was just starting, we realized it was possible," says Barnes. "When you see others making something of themselves, it doesn't matter at the time how far you were gonna go, it was you were going to try to make a living from it."
The hard work paid off. Between 1981 and 1984, the band had three million-selling albums - "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys," "Special Forces" and "Tour de Force." Add to that several songs that received near-constant play on rock radio - "Rockin' Into the Night," "Hold On Loosely," "Caught Up in You," "If I'd Been the One." The last two hit No. 1 on Billboard's Album Rock chart.
When the first lineup of 38 Special got together in 1974, it included Barnes on vocals and guitar, Donnie van Zant on vocals and guitar, Jeff Carlisi on guitar, Ken Lyons on bass, Steve Brookins and Jack Grondin, both on drums. To prevent arrest when rehearsing, the band would play in dilapidated buildings on the outskirts of town. The cops showed up one night, but the band had barricaded the front door and "lost" the key.
Except for a 5-year split from 1987 until 1992, Don Barnes has been singer and guitarist in 38 Special since 1974.At that point, the band hadn't decided on a name but, with the cop's words in their heads, 38 Special was born.
In the band's early days, Barnes says the band tried to mimic every band around them, whether it was the Outlaws, Lynyrd Skynyrd or the Allman Brothers.
"Ronnie Van Zant, the lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd and older brother of Donnie Van Zant, was a big mentor for the band," Barnes says. "He was five years older than us, and he said, "Quit trying to be a clone of somebody else. That's not going to get you anywhere if you're just rehashing."'
While the Allmans were bluesy and Skynyrd was tough and Southern, 38 Special members were fans of the British Invasion and its melodies and big guitars.
"We just put a style together; we called it 'muscle and melody.' You got that genial snarl, aggressive guitars in your face and you got a good melody and story over the top," says Barnes.
As the '70s drew to a close and the '80s began, 38 loosened from its musical roots and transitioned to arena rock, hoping to appeal to a broader audience, a change that would lead to hits such as "Hold on Loosely" and "Caught up in You."
"All of those songs since then have all been about little experiences that truthfully happened to us," says Barnes. "If it's something that's real, people feel that, you know, 'I felt that, too, that same that has happened to me' or 'I had that same feeling.' It draws them to that sort of situation."
But with success, life got a bit rocky for the band and Barnes' grew weary of his demanding lifestyle.
"When success finally knocks on your door, you gotta be willing to go the distance and are contractually obligated to keep putting out another album," he says. "You're pushing really hard and there's a lot of pressure with a lot of personal appearances and promotions and everything, and it consumes your whole life.
"I was kind of fractured personally; it wasn't all there; I just wanted to step away from the madness."
He left in 1987 and, while away from 38 Special, he filled those gaps. He met his wife, learned how to snow ski and traveled. He also recorded a solo album, 1989's "Ride the Storm," with A&M Records, but the label was bought by Polygram and Barnes' album was never released.
In 1992, however, 38 Special got back in touch.
"They called and wanted me to come back," says Barnes. "They wanted to get the old sound back."
Things were going fine until 2013, when Donnie Van Zant had to quit. His request to have the onstage amps turned towards him during shows took its toll. He had to make a trade-off: Quit playing music or lose his hearing.
"It was heartbreaking for him and me and everybody," says Barnes."I told him, "Donnie, we're so proud of you, that you made it all the way this far, this many decades later.' "
With Van Zant's departure, the band's setlist had to be reworked.
"So we took all the hits and put them all together and made a different show with more dynamics," says Barnes.
Contact Hayden Seay at hseay@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.