Performance · Production

Don Barnes

United States

Don Barnes is credited on 252 releases across 66 albums tracked on Gatefold, active 1977–2025 — the collector-built map of who actually made the music.

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Photo of Don Barnes

252

Pressings credited

66

Albums

6

Decades active

122

In collections

Biography

Richard Donald Barnes (born December 3, 1952) is an American rock vocalist and guitarist and one of the founding members of the Southern rock band 38 Special. Barnes performed lead vocals on nearly all of the group's biggest hits, including "Rockin' into the Night", "Hold On Loosely", "Caught Up in You", "If I'd Been the One", "Back Where You Belong", "Like No Other Night", "Somebody Like You", "Teacher Teacher", "Back to Paradise", "You Keep Runnin' Away" and "Fantasy Girl". Barnes left the band in 1987 with the song "Back to Paradise" (from the movie Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise) being his final hit with them. He was replaced by Max Carl. Barnes recorded a solo album Ride the Storm in 1989 but it was not released due to the record label (A&M Records) being sold. It featured many of the top session musicians of the time, such as Jeff Porcaro and Dann Huff. The album was co-produced by singer-songwriter Martin Briley. Barnes rejoined 38 Special in 1992 and has remained with them ever since. As of 2021, he is the only original member still with the band. His solo album was released on June 30, 2017, on MelodicRock Records.

Bio from Wikipedia

Credited work

252 releases · 66 albums · active 1977–2025

  • Performance · 542
  • Production · 136
  • Other credits · 3

Studios: Studio One, Doraville · Goodnight LA Studios · Criteria Recording Studios · The Summit

Discography

Records they worked on — most-collected first.

Frequent collaborators

Around the web

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