Steve Brookins was the initial drummer in Jacksonville, Florida based band .38 Special. They started out as were one of many Southern rock bands in the vein of the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. In the eithies the band revamped its sound to fall halfway between country-fried blues-rock and driving, arena-ready hard rock. Brookins left in 1987 and was replaced by Jack Grondin.