This paved the way for Sweet Rooster, Donnie's first professional group that he formed in 1969 with guitarists Jeff Carlisi (from Doomsday Refreshment Committee) and Kevin Elson (later the sound man for Skynyrd and 38 Special, who eventually graduated to producing Journey, Night Ranger and many others), drummer Bill Pelkey and Standard Productions bassist Ken Lyons.

Carlisi left Sweet Rooster after graduating high school to study architecture at Georgia Tech and was replaced by Don Barnes, from a fellow band called Camelots, in 1970.

Sweet Rooster then evolved into Alice Marr, with Van Zant, Barnes, Elson, Pelkey, bassist Larry Steele and keyboardist Billy Powell, who soon moved on to 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.

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".

[citation needed] The new group comprised Van Zant, Barnes, Steele (who dropped out almost immediately, to be replaced by Lyons, later returning as the group's stage manager), drummer Brookins (who had played with Van Zant in Sons of Satan), second drummer Jack Grondin (a New Jersey native who was attending Jacksonville University at the time) and a returning Carlisi.

Engineer Rodney Mills, who had worked with Atlanta Rhythm Section and others, assumed the producer's reins, and Survivor co-founder Jim Peterik became a frequent songwriting collaborator with the band from 1979 on, which helped account for this change in sound and subsequent success.

"Rockin' into the Night", the title track from the group's third album (released in October 1979), which Peterik and his bandmates had originally written for Survivor, found its way to 38 Special's manager, Mark Spector, and was given to the band.

Sung by 38's guitarist Don Barnes (who would sing lead vocals on all of the band's hits through 1987), the tune became their first song to receive national airplay, peaking at No.

[citation needed] In 1984 38 Special toured with the up-and-coming Huey Lewis and the News, who were just breaking huge with their Sports album, and in 1986 they shared the bill with the soon-to-be-platinum-selling hard rock band Bon Jovi.

[5] The next release, Rock & Roll Strategy (June 1988),[5] saw the group playing down their heavy guitar sound and putting forth a more 1980s pop keyboard-oriented approach, led by Carl's more R&B-style voice.

[citation needed] Since 1997's Resolution, two more releases have followed on the CMC International and Sanctuary Records labels, respectively A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night (September 2001) and Drivetrain (July 2004).

[10] In 2014 longtime bassist Larry Junstrom was replaced by Barry Dunaway (a veteran of many classic rock groups, including Pat Travers Band, Yngwie Malmsteen and Survivor).

[citation needed] Since 2019, the band's lineup has consisted of Don Barnes, keyboardist/vocalist Bobby Capps, drummer Gary Moffatt, Dunaway, and guitarist Jerry Riggs.