BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A Southern rock band that in the early 1980s had four gold and platinum albums and a dozen Top 10 singles has been announced as the latest addition to Quakertown’s Sounds of Summer concert series.
.38 Special, best known for the 1981 hit “Hold on Loosely” and 1982’s “Caught Up in You,” will perform Aug. 16 as part of the series at Univest Performance Center.
Tickets, at $40 for lawn seating and $50-$120 for reserved seating, go on sale at 8:30 a.m. Friday at the Univest Performance Center web page.News release
Tickets, at $40 for lawn seating and $50-$120 for reserved seating, go on sale at 8:30 a.m. Friday at the Univest Performance Center web page.
.38 Special was formed in 1974 by Donnie Van Zant, the younger brother of Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant and vocalist/guitarist Don Barnes in 1974. The group released its self-titled debut album in 1977.
It was the group’s third album, 1979’s “Rockin’ Into the Night,” that produced its first charting single with the title track, which hit No. 43.
Hits continued
But .38 Special's fourth album, 1981’s “Wild-Eyed Southern Boys,” was its most successful. It sold platinum and produced the hit “Hold On Loosely,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
The 1982 album “Special Forces,” which also went platinum and hit the Top 10 on the albums chart, gave the group its first No. 1 hit, “Caught Up in You.”
The 1983 album “Tour de Force” also went platinum, and 1986’s “Strength in Numbers” sold gold. The group continued to have Top 10 hits — 13 in all — through 1989’s No. 1 Adult Contemporary hit “Second Chance” and 1991’s No. 2 hit “The Sound of Your Voice.”
Its most recent album was 2004’s “Drivetrain.”
The group’s only original member now is Barnes. Van Zant retired in 2013.
Third concert in series
The concert is the third to be announced for the Sounds of Summer series at the amphitheater at 301 W. Mill St.
LoCash, the duo of Preston Brust and Chris Lucas that has had three Top 10 Country chart hits, including 2016's No. 1 "I Know Somebody," will perform at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 19. Tickets for that show, at $35 for lawn seating to $120 for front-row seats, are available on the series' webpage.
Also, The Hooters, the Philadelphia band best known for hits 1980s hits "Day By Day" and "And We Danced," will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23. Tickets, at $40 for lawn and $50-$70 reserved seating, also remain for that show.
The release said more concerts are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
