Yes, it’s the same songwriter. The same guitarist. That same unmistakable voice that powered Grand Funk Railroad to 12 platinum and 15 gold albums.
Mark Farner is a true rock ’n roll legend. He found fame and success at the age of 20 as the leader of one of America’s most successful rock bands, Grand Funk Railroad. With GFR, Mark recorded 17 albums with total sales of more than 25 million records, and toured the world, which isn’t bad for a guy who only had three formal guitar lessons.
As a teenager in a garage band, Mark played the usual dates - school dances, VFW halls, wedding receptions and the like. After leaving high school, Mark entered the professional world, working with The Bossmen, Terry Knight and the Pack, then just the Pack (this time without Terry Knight, but with future Funk drummer Don Brewer).
In 1969, Mel Schacher, who had been a member of ? and the Mysterians, was invited to join Mark and Don, and power trio Grand Funk Railroad (named after the Grand Trunk Railroad in Michigan) was born.
But it wasn’t until the Atlanta International Pop Festival in July 1969 that GFR first caught anyone’s attention. The only unsigned act on the show, Grand Funk Railroad played before 180,000 people in 110-degree heat and the acclaim was instantaneous. Following their Atlanta appearance, the band was signed by Capitol Records and their first album On Time, was recorded and released within four months.
The saga of Grand Funk Railroad is well documented. The albums included such titles as Grand Funk Railroad, Survival, Live Album, Closer To Home, E Pluribus Funk, Phoenix, Good Singin’ Good Playin’, Caught In The Act and All The Girls In The World Beware, among others. The hit singles included "I’m Your Captain (Closer To Home)," "Foot-Stompin’ Music," "Loco-motion," "Mean Mistreater," "Bad Time" and "Some Kind Of Wonderful," among others. In 1971 they set the attendance record at New York’s Shea Stadium for a concert, surpassing the record set by The Beatles in 1966, and a record that still stands today, some 35 years later.
In early 1977, Grand Funk Railroad called it quits, and after taking a year or so off, Mark Farner signed a solo deal with Atlantic Records and issued two critically acclaimed albums: Mark Farner and No Frills.
In 1981, a reunited Grand Funk Railroad recorded a new album, Grand Funk Lives for Full Moon/Warner Bros. Records, and a second album, What’s Funk, shipped in 1982. Mark released 4 contemporary Christian albums from 1983 through 1994, earning a Dove nomination and reaching the number 2 chart position with the John Beland composition "Isn’t it Amazing". His continuous touring schedule kept him in contact with both his longtime Grand Funk fans, and the new fans that first noticed Mark during his solo years.
In 1995, Mark toured with Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band, then toured with The Northwest Airlines All-Stars in 1996 before reuniting with Don Brewer and Mel Schacher to record their Bosnia album for Capitol-EMI. Grand Funk Railroad toured in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and was named to Pollstar’s Top 100 Tours of 1998. VH-1’s "Behind The Music" on Grand Funk Railroad has been airing since early 1999, as well as the Grand Funk Railroad Anthology album released on Capitol Records.
Today, Mark is still traveling the world, both with the All-Starr Band and fronting his own band, N’rG, pleasing GFR fans everywhere and continuing the legend begun with Grand Funk Railroad!
Adapted and rewritten by Rob Whitehurst
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Click the box above to watch an interview with Mark.
Be sure to read Steve Hayes’ great article about Mark!
Click above to hear radio interviews with Mark!
Click above to go to Mark’s tribute to our Veterans.
Watch Mark rock and roll with Joe Lynn Turner
A touching story from the Rock n Roll Fantasy Camp
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