.38 Special is an American rock band. Formed by vocalist Donnie Van Zant in 1975 in Jacksonville, Florida, the band initially had a straight-ahead Southern rock sound, much like Lynyrd Skynyrd, the band of his older brother Ronnie. By the early 1980s, the band began incorporating elements of blues-rock and arena rock into their sound, kicking off a string of successful albums and singles. Among .