The band's current lineup consists of Justo, along with guitarists David Anderson and Steve Stone, keyboardist Lee Shealy, bassist Justin Senker and drummer Rodger Stephan.

[2] Buie's manager, Jeff Franklin, who was based in New York and had gotten the group the deal with Decca, was then able to get ARS signed to Polydor for their third release, Third Annual Pipe Dream, in August 1974.

[2] The band's next two releases, Dog Days (August 1975) and Red Tape (April 1976), sold in even lesser quantities,[2] but ARS toured extensively in 1975–1976, with numerous shows in the South, Northeast and Midwest.

The increased exposure paid off as the group's next album, A Rock and Roll Alternative (December 1976),[2] rose to #13 on the Billboard chart and was certified gold in the spring of 1977.

In January 1978 ARS released what would turn out to be its most successful album, Champagne Jam,[2] which led off with the song "Large Time", a tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, some of whom had lost their lives in a plane crash the previous October.

On July 1, 1978, the band played before more than 80,000 at Texxas Jam at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, with various other artists including Walter Egan, Van Halen, Eddie Money, Head East, Journey, Heart, Ted Nugent and Aerosmith.

The following week, ARS had a rock festival of their own, Champagne Jam, at Grant Field at Georgia Tech on September 3, 1978, which also included Santana, the Doobie Brothers, Eddie Money, Mose Jones and Mother's Finest.

Bruce Lundvall offered a better deal at Columbia Records (CBS), who released the next ARS album, Quinella in August 1981, containing the hit "Alien" (#29) but, like The Boys From Doraville, struggled with sales.

Two new members, Tommy Stribling (bass) and Keith Hamrick (drums), joined in late 1983 and ARS, now without a recording contract, continued to play shows, mostly in the South.

Greenville, South Carolina native Andy Anderson, who'd been playing with Billy Joe Royal, was recommended by his friend Hamrick as the new front man and sang on the unreleased Moman project after Justo was let go.

In late 1986, J. R. Cobb left to concentrate more on songwriting and session work at Moman's new studio in Memphis (for The Highwaymen, among others) and Stribling came back to play guitar.

In 1988 Hammond, Bailey, and Daughtry returned to the studio with Sean Burke and two new players, Brendan O'Brien (guitar) and J. E. Garnett (bass), to produce a new album with Buddy Buie and Rodney Mills that had more of an "'80s rock sound".

Released in October 1989 on the CBS/Epic subsidiary label Imagine, Truth in a Structured Form, ARS's first album in eight years, featured a heavy drum sound that propelled almost every track and a sharper, more synthesized gloss over the songs, with all, except one, being written by Buddy Buie and Ronnie Hammond, another departure from their previous approach.

The band, joined by "classic era" members Cobb, Nix and Goddard, was honored at a September 1996 induction ceremony at the Georgia World Congress Center.

After the band had finished an afternoon set at a concert festival in Orlando, Florida, 37-year-old drummer R. J. Vealey complained of indigestion and then collapsed and died of a heart attack.

Hammond performed, backed by Dean Daughtry, Justin Senker, Steve Stone, Jim Keeling, Wendall Cox (from Travis Tritt's band) and Mike Causey (from Stillwater).

Steve Stone played most of the lead guitar parts from this point on and Andy Anderson's long-time Billy Joe Royal bandmate Alan Accardi was brought in as second guitarist.

[7] On March 26, 2008, singer Andy Anderson suffered a heart attack just before he was to catch a plane to Las Vegas to join the band for a two-night stand at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino.

Andy's friend Steve Croson (who'd played alongside him for years in Billy Joe Royal's band) lived in Vegas and was able to step in on short notice.

After Goddard's death, ARS continued to play shows with a lineup of Rodney Justo, Dean Daughtry, Steve Stone, Dave Anderson, Justin Senker and Jim Keeling.

Keeling, who left ARS to spend more time with his family, was replaced in March 2016 by Justo's friend Rodger Stephan (who had also played drums with Marty Balin).

The album also featured guest performances by Rodney Justo and Paul Goddard, just before they rejoined the group, and Ronnie Hammond, in his final recorded appearance.

From The Vaults (May 2012), released on both the Fuel and Sunset Blvd Records labels, was a double CD collection of unreleased tracks both studio and live and even featured some pre-ARS Candymen performances.

[13] During the spring and summer of 2022, the band's guitarist David Anderson subbed on lead vocals after Justo had to tend to his ailing wife, Shirley, who died on July 11.

[14] ARS co-founder and keyboardist Dean Daughtry died in Huntsville, Alabama on January 26, 2023, of natural causes at age 76,[15] leaving Justo as the last surviving original member.