Portrait of Don Barnes

Birthday profile

Don Barnes

Don Barnes, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Born
December 3, 1952
Age in 2026
74
Zodiac sign
Sagittarius
Birth year
1952

About Don Barnes

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.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

The world when Don Barnes was born

Don Barnes was born in 1952. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1952

  • #1 song"You Belong to Me" – Jo Stafford
  • Top movieThe Greatest Show on Earth
  • Top TV showI Love Lucy
  • Best-selling bookThe Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentRocky Marciano becomes heavyweight champion
  • Top headlineDwight Eisenhower elected president
  • Technology milestoneFirst hydrogen bomb tested
  • Defining fadMr. Potato Head
  • Notable inventionMr. Potato Head (first toy advertised on TV)
  • World population2.63 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderHarry S. Truman
  • Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
  • Also wonMinneapolis Lakers (NBA)
  • U.S. population156.4M

1952 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Don Barnes's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19522026
Gas$0.27$3.45/gal
Average home$9,100$435,000
Average income$5,700$67,500
Minimum wage$0.75$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$0.60$11.95
Postage stamp$0.03$0.73
Population156.4M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, MusicBrainz. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.