38 Special to headline Cherry Blossom Festival

Rock legend 38 Special will be headlining the Macon Cherry Blossom Festival Street Party on March 23.
The band 38 Special is a multi-platinum selling group that found success in the 1980s with hit songs including “Hold on Loosely” and “Caught Up in You.”
The band is known for a style that mixes southern rock with arena rock. Over the course of their career, the group has sold over 20 million records and has toured across the world.
The group is closely related to southern rock royalty. Founding member Donnie Van Zant is the brother of the late Lyrnyrd Skynyrd front man Ronnie Van Zant.
Longtime friends Don Barnes and Donnie Van Zant formed the band in 1974 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Though the lineup has changed over the years, Barnes and Van Zant have remained the core of the group, save for a short period where Barnes pursued a solo career.
The current lineup consists of Van Zant on vocals and guitars; Don Barnes on vocals, guitar, and keyboard; Larry Junstrom, who has been playing bass with the group since 1977; Danny Chauncey providing backup vocals and guitar since 1987; Bobby Chaps on keyboard since 1991; and Gary Moffatt on drums since 1997.
The band promises to maintain an intense stage presence throughout their concerts.
They describe their efforts onstage as a “celebration of camaraderie and brotherhood, a precision unit bringing the dedication and honesty to a long history of classic songs, as well as surprisingly fresh new material.”
Accompanying 38 Special at the festival will be the Knoxville- based group The Dirty Guv’Nahs and the Atlanta Funk Society.
The Dirty Guv’Nahs is fresh from the success of their recent album titled “Under These Southern Skies” and has recently played at the Bonnaroo Music Festival.
The Atlanta Funk Society sports a variety of 70s and 80s inspired brass grooves and has toured all over the country, including going on the road with the legendary Paul Simon.
They recorded a live set at the Hummingbird in Macon on March 24, 2012. It is available as a free download on their website http://theatlantafunksociety.bandcamp.com/.
The Macon Cherry Blossom Festival is the self-proclaimed “Pinkest Party on Earth.” It is held annually to celebrate the flowering of Macon’s 300,000 Yoshino cherry trees.
Held during March since 1982, the Cherry Blossom Festival has grown from its humble roots to become one of the Top 20 Events in the South and among the most popular in the country. The committee strives to improve the festival each year and hope to encourage its continued growth.
The Street Party is being presented by the Macon Cherry Blossom Festival in conjuncture with 11th Hour, 13 WMAZ and Cumulus Broadcasting.
The event will be held at Cherry St. Plaza in Downtown Macon on Saturday, March 23 from 5-11 p.m.
Tickets go on sale Feb. 26. Tickets will be $12 in advance and $20 on the day of show.
For more information, call 478-751-7429, or go online to www.cherryblossom.com.