.38 Special performs "Hold On Loosely" (4K) Fri 9-26-25 Azura Amphitheater Bonner Springs KS

38 Special, often stylized as .38 Special or spelled out as Thirty-eight Special, is an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1974 by singer-guitarists Donald Newton "Donnie" Van Zant (born June 11, 1952) and Richard Donald "Don" Barnes (born December 3, 1952).

They are known for their hit songs including "Hold On Loosely" and "Caught Up in You" among various other top 40 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 during the 1980s and early 1990s. The other songs include "Fantasy Girl", "Rockin' into the Night", "You Keep Runnin' Away", "If I'd Been the One", "Back Where You Belong", "Teacher, Teacher", "Like No Other Night", "Second Chance", and "The Sound of Your Voice"

Donnie Van Zant is the younger brother of Lynyrd Skynyrd co-founder and frontman Ronnie Van Zant. Donnie began playing music during his teen years. He formed a band, the Other Side, in 1965, and later Sons of Satan which changed its name to Standard Production in 1968. In 1969, he formed his first professional group, Sweet Rooster, with guitarists Jeff Carlisi (from Doomsday Refreshment Committee) and Kevin Elson,[a] drummer Bill Pelkey, and Standard Production's bassist Ken Lyons. Carlisi left Sweet Rooster after graduating from high school to study architecture at Georgia Tech and was replaced by Don Barnes, from a fellow band called Camelots, in 1970. Sweet Rooster evolved into Alice Marr with Van Zant, Barnes, Elson, Pelkey, bassist Larry Steele and keyboardist Billy Powell, who soon moved on to being a roadie for Lynyrd Skynyrd before joining them as their pianist.

In the meantime, Van Zant, Barnes and Lyons, while continuing to work their day jobs as well as their musical careers, began composing original songs. By 1974, they decided to form "the ultimate band" that would be their "one last shot" at success. Briefly, Van Zant was considering a higher-paying position for the railroad at which he worked, but was finally convinced by brother Ronnie to stick with music since it was "in his blood".