Staff Report
The American band 38 Special, whose signature brand of Southern rock spawned No. 1 hits and more than 20 million units sold, will bring their nationwide tour to the Santa Ynez Valley at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, at the Chumash Casino Resort’s Samala Showroom.
The group, which was founded by neighborhood friends Don Barnes and Donnie Van Zandt in 1974, is best known for hits such as “Hold On Loosely” and “Caught Up in You,” and Barnes still leads 38 Special on 100-city tours four decades into their existence.
The band first got mainstream exposure in 1979 with its third studio album “Rockin’ into the Night.” The title track narrowly missed reaching Billboard’s Top 40, but 38 Special followed with two platinum-selling albums and one double-platinum to cement their rock ‘n’ roll legacy.
“Wild-Eyed Southern Boys,” 38 Special’s fourth album, featured “Hold On Loosely,” a song that would reach No. 3 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart while its music video received heavy airplay on MTV throughout 1981. It remains a staple of classic rock radio stations throughout the U.S.
Their next album, “Special Forces,” produced the band’s first No. 1 hit – “Caught Up in You,” which reached the top spot on the Mainstream Rock chart and cracked the Top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1982.
“If I’d Been the One” became 38 Special’s second No. 1 hit on the Mainstream Rock chart in 1983, and “Second Chance” was the group’s final chart-topping single, earning the top spot on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart in 1989.
Barnes, the band’s vocalist, guitarist and lone original member, leads a 38 Special lineup featuring Bobby Capps (keyboardist), Gary Moffatt (drummer), Barry Dunaway (bassist) and Jerry Riggs (guitar).
Van Zandt stopped touring with the band in 2013 due to health issues and retired soon thereafter. Longtime bassist Larry Junstrom stopped touring in 2014 and died last month at the age of 70.
Tickets for the show are $29, $34, $39, $49 and $59. They are available at the casino and at www.chumashcasino.com.
