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It’s not every day you sit across the virtual table from a man whose voice once soundtracked your first kiss, your summer road trip, or that awkward high school dance. But when Don Barnes of 38 Special drops into the Press Play Conversations Zoom room, flanked by Press Play CEO Tina and SiriusXM’s Dean Baldwin, it’s more than just another legacy interview. It’s a masterclass in American songwriting, perseverance, and what happens when you’ve still got fire in the tank 50 years into the game.

Barnes, affable and sharp as ever, settles into the discussion with his signature Southern ease—part statesman, part story-weaver. The conversation kicks off with a tribute to a longtime collaborator: Jim Peterik, the Survivor mastermind and co-writer of “Hold On Loosely.” What started as a random co-writing session decades ago turned into a songwriting marriage that would yield hits like “Caught Up in You” and “Fantasy Girl.”

Barnes remembers the moment “Hold On Loosely” was born like it happened yesterday. “I was going through a relationship that was going south,” he admits. “And I said to Jim, ‘What is it about people trying to change each other?’ Then I tossed out, ‘Hold on loosely?’ And he fired back, ‘But don’t let go.’” The rest, as they say, is Southern rock history.

As Tina jumps in, she adds that she’s used that song as relationship advice for each of her kids. Barnes nods. “It’s true. You love too much, you smother someone. People come up to me and say that song saved their marriage. I’m like—really? We were just trying to get on the radio.”

But 38 Special did more than get on the radio. They owned it. Dean, a human jukebox of rock history, offers a truth that’s often overlooked in retrospectives: 38 Special were the band that brought Southern rock to the mainstream, showing country how to lean into rock riffs without losing its roots. “Southern bands were singing about whiskey and gators,” Barnes jokes. “We were chasing the hook, man. I wanted songs that lifted.”

And lifted they did. “Rockin’ Into the Night” might’ve been handed off by Survivor, but Barnes and company turned it into a declaration. Then came the anthems—“Hold On Loosely,” “Caught Up in You,” “If I’d Been the One”—each track delivered with tight arrangements, radio-friendly hooks, and a working-class grit that felt both polished and lived-in.

Talk turns to Milestone, the band’s new album that celebrates 50 years of 38 Special. It's not just a look back—it’s a push forward. “We didn’t want this to be a nostalgia trip,” Barnes says. “We wanted to show we could still hang in 2025.” The result is an album that nods to the past while refusing to live in it. Take “Slightly Controversial,” a grinding, hook-laden duet with Train’s Pat Monahan that’s pulled in a whole new generation of fans aged 20 to 35. “That song hit a nerve,” Barnes explains. “Pat came in and crushed it. And the phrase? Never used in a song before. It just sang well.”

Another standout, “All I Haven’t Said,” may be one of Barnes’ most personal to date. Co-written with his wife Christine, the ballad aches with mature love—the kind that lingers after years of silence, routine, and unspoken devotion. “She gave me the title,” Barnes says, still in awe. “And then the line: I would write it across the sky how I loved you. It just poured out from there. That’s my diamond.”

Even the album’s roots trace back decades. Barnes dishes on his shelved solo album from 1989, recorded with members of Toto and meant to break him out in a new light. A label sale shelved it—until a fan in Australia helped him resurrect it decades later. “It finally got released in 2017. We toasted champagne. It was worth the wait.”

For a guy who helped shape the FM rock dial, Barnes remains grounded. He’s passionate about honoring the band’s past, but even more excited about its future. “We’re adding two new songs to the setlist already. More are coming.” As for touring, the band still plays over 100 dates a year. “We’re road warriors,” Barnes says. “Always have been. The crew is family. The band is family. And after all these years—we still like each other. That’s rare.”

So what keeps the fire burning?

“The hook,” Barnes answers, without missing a beat. “I’ve always been about the hook. That’s the thing that sticks. That’s what makes people feel something.”

And as the conversation winds down, it’s clear Don Barnes still has plenty left to say—and even more left to play.

Want to hear more from 38 Special? Check out the new album Milestone and explore the band’s legacy at www.38special.com And yes, “Hold On Loosely” still slaps—hard.