Grand Funk Railroad
Grand Funk Railroad, sometimes shortened as Grand Funk, is an American hard rock band popular during the 1970s, who toured extensively and played to packed arenas worldwide.
Known for their crowd-pleasing arena rock style, the band was well-regarded by audiences despite a relative lack of critical acclaim. The band’s name is a play on words of the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, a line that runs through the band’s home town of Flint, Michigan.
Grand Funk Railroad was formed as a trio in 1969 by Mark Farner (guitar, keyboards, harmonica, vocals) and Don Brewer (drums, vocals) from Terry Knight and the Pack, and Mel Schacher (bass) from Question Mark & the Mysterians. Knight soon became the band’s manager and also named the band as a play on words for the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, a well-known rail line in Michigan.
First achieving recognition at the 1969 Atlanta International Pop Festival I, the band was signed by Capitol Records. After a raucous, well-received set on the first day of the festival, Grand Funk was asked back to play at the 1970 Atlanta International Pop Festival II the following year. Patterned after hard-rock power trios such as Cream, the band, with Terry Knight’s marketing savvy, developed its own popular style. In August 1969 the band released its first album titled On Time, which sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold record in 1970.
In February 1970 a second album, Grand Funk (or The Red Album), was awarded gold status. Despite critical pans and little airplay, the group’s first six albums (five studio releases and one live album) were quite successful.
Disbanded, 1983–1996; re-formation, 1996–presentAfter some rehearsals in late 1995, Grand Funk Railroad’s three original members (joined on tour by keyboardist/guitarist Howard Eddy) once again reunited in 1996 and played to 250,000 people in 14 shows during a three-month period.
In 1997 the band played three sold-out Bosnian benefit concerts. These shows featured a full symphony orchestra that was conducted by Paul Shaffer (from Late Show with David Letterman). The band released a live two-disc benefit CD called Bosnia recorded in Auburn Hills, Michigan. This recording also featured Peter Frampton, who joined the band on stage.
In late 1998, Farner left the band and returned to his solo career.
After this, two years passed before the two remaining members recruited some well-regarded players to reform the band. Lead vocalist Max Carl (of 38 Special), former Kiss lead guitarist Bruce Kulick and keyboardist Tim Cashion (Bob Seger, Robert Palmer) completed the new lineup.
In 2005 Grand Funk Railroad was voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
In 2018 bassist Stanley Sheldon (ex-Peter Frampton) sat in for Schacher, who lost his wife, Dena, to cancer.
Grand Funk Railroad continues to tour, and kicked off its “The American Band Tour 2019”, “Celebrating 50 Years of Funk” tour on January 17, 2019.
On June 25, 2019 The New York Times Magazine listed Grand Funk Railroad among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
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