VALDOSTA – Don Barnes says it’s difficult fitting 50 years of hits into a live show.

Especially since 38 Special has so many well-known songs: “Hold On Loosely,” “Rockin Into the Night,” “Caught Up In You,” “Fantasy Girl,” “If I’d Been the One,” “Back Where You Belong,” “Chain Lightnin,” “Second Chance,” “Teacher, Teacher,” etc.

South Georgia fans can expect to hear most of these songs Saturday evening, May 10, at Wild Adventures Theme Park, but some of the songs may be presented in an abbreviated format.

“It’s a blessing and a curse to have so many songs and try fitting them into an hour-and-45-minute show,” Barnes, guitarist/vocalist, said in a recent phone interview with The Valdosta Daily Times. “And if you add new songs, then you run the risk of not getting everything into the show. We play a medley of some songs. We learned that from the Beach Boys.”

Fans may hear a new 38 Special song during the Wild Adventures show. Barnes said the band recently recorded a new album, titled “Milestone,” in honor of 38 Special’s 50th anniversary. The song, “All I Haven’t Said,” is expected to be released prior to the Valdosta performance, he added.

Barnes and Donnie Van Zant started 38 Special in the 1970s. They have known each other since they were children, growing up in a poor neighborhood on the west side of Jacksonville, Florida. 

Barnes’ dad took the young teen musicians to various gigs, co-signing for guitars and equipment. 

“My dad was my hero,” Barnes said in a separate 2013 interview with The Valdosta Daily Times. Van Zant was the younger brother of Ronnie Van Zant, co-founder and front man of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

As teens, Barnes and Van Zant played the Navy town’s sailor clubs. They kept playing, getting better, refusing to quit music.  

“We got cocky and wanted to do our own songs. We felt this was the next direction,” Barnes said then. “We had to work at it, but in our case, we were too stubborn to quit.”

Jacksonville in the 1970s was similar to what Athens and Seattle, Washington, became for alt rock and grunge, respectively, in the 1990s. Jacksonville became the epicenter of Southern rock. The Florida city was the birthplace of 38 Special, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers and Molly Hatchet. 

Barnes credits this creative surge to the Navy bases and the related bars throughout Jacksonville. 

“We could make $100 a night playing the sailor clubs, playing cover songs by Three Dog Night and other radio bands then,” he said in late April. “Everybody played those sailor clubs. We all did that. Jacksonville was like the Liverpool of the South. … The sailors brought in a concentration of musical influences.”

While one might think such a thriving creative market would foster artistic camaraderie, Barnes said the music scene was “a bit more edgy than that.”

The concentrated mix of success and struggle among Jacksonville musicians created a competitive atmosphere. Barnes said instead of a helping hand, some of the early successes dismissed the up-and-coming bands.

“There was a certain amount of you guys are never going to make it,” he said. “They would treat you like you’re nothing but you have to think I’m something. It really tested your intestinal fortitude. It makes you gut up. … I’ll show you.

“So, really, even with that, it created a competitive spirit that moved you forward.”

Barnes added that Ronnie Van Zant was always supportive of his and younger brother Donnie Van Zant’s efforts. 

Barnes and Donnie Van Zant kept playing, found rock success with 38 Special and a number of hits from the 1980s. Donnie Van Zant continued with 38 Special until 2013, when he left the road and the band due to inner ear nerve damage.

“Donnie’s doing great,” Barnes said. “He’s been my partner, my brother and is still co-owner of 38 Special. … I talk to him all the time.”

Barnes still loves being on the road and performing shows. 

The concept of live performances and recording have come full circle.

Originally, records promoted live shows. People heard the record then came to the show. Then, for decades, live shows promoted a new record. Now, recordings, again, promote live shows.

“Streaming has changed everything. … No one wants a record deal where you have to record a new album every year,” Barnes said. “… Live music’s where it’s at.” 

38 Special plays 8 p.m., Saturday, May 10, Wild Adventures Theme Park, Old Clyattville Road. More information, visit wildadventures.com.