Mercer County Fairgrounds

After more than four decades, 38 SPECIAL continues to bring their signature blast of Southern Rock to over 100 cities a year. At each and every show, thousands of audience members are amazed by the explosive power of the band's performance.

Their many Gold and Platinum album awards stand in testament to the endurance of a legendary powerhouse.

With sales in excess of 20 million, most associate the band with their arena-rock pop smashes, “Hold On Loosely,” “Rockin’ Into the Night,” “Caught Up in You,” “Fantasy Girl,” “If I’d Been the One,” “Back Where You Belong,” “Chain Lightnin’,” “Second Chance,” and more – Timeless hits that remain a staple at radio, immediately recognizable from the first opening chord, and paving the way to their present-day touring regimen.

Guitarist/vocalist DON BARNES says it's all about maintaining that intensity in their live shows. “We never wanted to be one of those bands that had maybe gotten a little soft or complacent over the years. We're a team, and it's always been kind of an unspoken rule that we don’t slack up, we stack up. We go out there every night to win.”

Completing the team is bassist BARRY DUNAWAY, drummer GARY MOFFATT and keyboardist/vocalist BOBBY CAPPS. The most recent addition to the band is legendary virtuoso guitarist and vocalist JERRY RIGGS.

For 38 Special onstage, it is a celebration of camaraderie and brotherhood, a precision unit bringing the dedication and honesty to a long history of classic songs, as well as surprisingly fresh new material.

Since 1976, the band has released more than 15 albums. And from the start, they’ve toured relentlessly, bringing their signature brand of ‘muscle and melody’ to fans worldwide.

It is that steely determination that lives on in the hearts of these ‘Wild-Eyed Southern Boys.'

Barnes adds, "This music keeps our wheels on the road. We're a band that's tried to stay honest with what has driven us over the years. We started out with nothing but bold determination to make our own history and to endure. Looking back now, it has been our greatest pride to have persevered and attained that level of success and longevity. For us, it's the ultimate validation.”

“The magic's still there,” adds Barnes. "It's an emotional high for us to keep 'bringing it' after all these years. When those lights go down and we all walk up those steps to the stage and hear that crowd roar, it’s a real rush to the head. It feels like we're getting ready to strap ourselves in and it just takes off from there."

ABOUT ERNEST
Nashville's most unpredictable hitmaker ERNEST is “The Charmer” (MusicRow), a triple threat talent and one of Music City's on the rise artist/writers who is changing the status quo. A 2022 Variety Hitmaker, the chart-topping songwriter fuses influences ranging from Eminem to George Jones, crafting a twist-heavy verse style that's become his signature, proving its mettle, and earning him eight #1 hits to date. The eccentric free spirit and 2022 CMA Triple Play Award winner will release the deluxe edition of his critically acclaimed album FLOWER SHOPS (THE ALBUM) on February 10, 2023, rebranding the collection FLOWER SHOPS (THE ALBUM): Two Dozen Roses, doubling its track list with 13 fresh cuts. The March 2022-released original has been praised as one of Holler and The Tennessean's best albums of the year, showcasing the more classically country side of his craft. Nashville's “busiest – and most consistently successful – creative force” (The Tennessean) wrapped his first-ever sold-out headlining Sucker For Small Towns Tour this past fall, and will hit the road in March as direct support on Morgan Wallen's One Night At A Time World Tour.

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