.38 Special and Lynyrd Skynyrd Legends Credit Jesus for Inspiring New Christian Album
Two rock legends are teaming up to sing the name of Jesus, driven by a shared mission to see souls saved. The brother duo of Donnie Van Zant and Johnny Van Zant form the group Van Zant but are better known to rock fans for their roles in .38 Special and Lynyrd Skynyrd, respectively. Donnie Van Zant co-founded .38 Special, which is known for such hits as Hold On Loosely and Caught Up In You, while Johnny Van Zant has been the lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd since 1987, fronting the band behind classics like Sweet Home Alabama and Simple Man.
In November they released their first Christian album Always Look Up, which debuted at No. 1 on the Top Christian/Gospel Albums chart and includes such faith-focused tracks as Awesome God, Jesus Christ, Praying and Leaning on the Cross.
The brothers say they had long wanted to make a Christian album and found inspiration during Covid, feeling led by God.
"We just said, 'You know what? God's putting it on us to do this,'" Johnny said.
Every song on the album is an original. The song Jesus Christ, for example, was inspired by a painting of the crucifixion on the wall in their studio.
"We just told each other, if we could just bring one person to Christ, it would be worth this whole project, really," Donnie said. "And I think we've done that a lot over -- to the glory of God. He gets the glory."
Another song, Praying, sums up their lives; Johnny said: "You can chase the world and win everything and have all these great material things, but if you don't have Christ in your life, what do you have?"
It's the duo's first studio album in 17 years.
"We've got a bucket list of things that we want to do musically together, and right at the top of that list was to do a Christian record," Donnie said.
The two men came from a family of faith.
"Our father knew the Bible back and forth, and if you didn't want to listen, you had to listen. And if you had to use the bathroom while he started preaching, you were in trouble," Johnny said, laughing.
That foundation eventually became personal, although -- they acknowledge -- they weren't as close to God in their younger years.
"You go out, and you're not thinking about Jesus or heaven, and you're out there having your good time and trying to make a living and wanting the best of this and best of that, and you kind of put that on the back burner," Johnny said of faith. "But God said we go through trials and tribulations. And you know, when you start going through those trials and tribulations, you really start going, 'Whoa, I really need Jesus Christ in my life.'
"And we think it's cool to love Jesus. We think we're the coolest guys in the world here," he added with a smile. "We love praising His name, and anytime we can do it, we're there."
For those who hear the album, Johnny says the goal is clear: "Bring them closer to God, closer to Jesus."
Photo Credit: ©Frontiers Music
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published April 23, 2025.
