38 Special to perform at Chingawassa Days years ago
Central Park in Marion will reverberate June 1 with the good-time rock of 38 Special.
The band will perform at the sixth annual Chingawassa Days.
38 Special has an impressive resume': four platinum and five gold albums yielding sales of more than 12 million units, a string of pop hits, and family ties to a rock icon.
They will perform at 9 p.m. June 1 with opening act Cattywampus, a rock band based in Nashville. Admission will be by a special button.
Concert buttons, which are good for the concert, a free barbecue feed and ice cream social May 31, and admission to the park June 1 are $20 in advance, $25 starting May 25.
Other activities planned include a karaoke contest, free watermelon feed, bingo, a bed race, anvil shoot, free throw contest, mule rides, ecumenical church service, and wood carvings. Other activities are being scheduled.
Regular buttons, good for everything except the concert, are $7 in advance and $10 starting May 25.
Buttons will be available in April at participating businesses or can be ordered from Gene Winkler at Gene's Travel, Marion. There is a $2-per-button discount for groups buying 20 or more buttons.
History
Raised on the same ground and music that produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special grew into one of the most popular acts in the 1980s, filling stadiums with screaming fans.
Many of the songs written by the band remain popular on the radio.
They include "Rockin' Into the Night," "Hold On Loosely," "Fantasy Girl," "If I'd Been the One," "Caught Up in You," "Back Where You Belong," "Teacher, Teacher" and "Second Chance."
Their screaming guitars and wild look were belied by the fact that many of their songs deal with the beauty and pain of relationships.
For example, "Rockin' Into the Night" is a frank and humorous look at the intense feelings of a couple early in love, while "Hold On Loosely" stresses the importance of trust. "Second Chance" looks at what happens when that trust is broken.
Formed in 1975 in Jacksonville, Fla., 38 Special appeals to a variety of crowds. Their tour schedule (at 38special.com) lists many gigs. A recent album featured the band at the annual bike rally at Sturgis, S.D., and they released a Christmas album this past year.
Legendary ties
The current lineup features lead singer and founder Donnie Van Zant, co-founder and singer/guitarist Don Barnes, guitarist Danny Chauncey, bass player Larry Junstrom, keyboardist Bobby Capps, and drummer Gary Moffatt.
Van Zant is part of a triumvirate of American rock music. His eldest brother, Ronnie, was the original lead singer for Lynryd Skynyrd before he was killed in 1977 in a plane crash. Brother Johnny then took over and has recorded with the band since then.
The Van Zants also record together, having released "Brother to Brother" and "VanZant II."
Band members say they respect their roots in southern rock, but their songs show their assimilation of a wide range of influences.
Albums
1977 — "38 Special," "Special Delivery."
1978 — "Wild Eyed and Live."
1979 — "Rockin' Into the Night."
1980 — "Wild Eyed Southern Boys."
1982 — "Special Forces."
1983 — "Tour De Force."
1986 — "Strength in Numbers."
1987 — "Flashback: Best of 38 Special."
1988 — "Rock & Roll Strategy."
1991 — "Bone Against Steel."
1997 — "Resolution."
1999 — "Live at Sturgis."
2001 — "Anthology," "Wild Eyed Christmas Night."
