Mark Farmer and Don Brewer had been playing in the local  Flint, Michigan band, Terry Knight and the Pack.  When the band broke up, the two began jamming and decided to stay together.  Terry Knight became their manager and helped them settle on the band name, The Grand Funk Railroad in 1968.

Grand Funk Railroad

We are an American band. We really focus on the United States. We've gone up to Alaska, we do a couple of things generally in Canada, you know, every year. But other than that we stay right here. We've had some offers to go to Mexico, and to South America and go over and do a couple of European festivals and stuff, but we've just said, "You know, let's just stay here."

The Early Years

Mark Farmer and Don Brewer had been playing in the local  Flint, Michigan band, Terry Knight and the Pack.  When the band broke up, the two began jamming and decided to stay together.  Terry Knight became their manager and helped them settle on the band name, The Grand Funk Railroad in 1968.  With Knight's help, they were invited to perform at the Atlanta Pop Festival, which resulted directly in a recording contract with Capitol Records.  

Influenced by power rock trios like Cream, Grand Funk Railroad worked to develop their own sound, but one that would have a classic rock ring to it.  In 1969, they released two albums:  On Time, which certified gold, and Grand Funk, which certified platinum.  Two singles from each album were released, and all four charted on the Billboard Top 100.  The latter of the two albums included a cover on Inside Looking Out by The Animals.

Climb to the Top

Fueled by the moderate success of their first two releases and by Knight's marketing abilities, the band released their 1970 album, Closer to Home, which certified double platinum.  The single, I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home), would become one of their biggest and longest lasting hits.    Grand Funk Railroad went on to release ten more albums through 1976.  All were commercially successful.  In 1973, they released the single, We're an American Band, on the album of the same name.  The single peaked at #1 and became their signature hit.

They disbanded in 1976, due to internal tensions.  A reunion in 1980 resulted in two releases, 1981's Good Funk Lives and 1983's What's Funk?  Neither album achieved commercial success.  In 1996, the band reunited to perform fourteen shows, and in 1997, they came together to give three sold-out Bosnia Benefit concerts.  They toured for the next three years.  

Here and Now

Farmer left the band in 1999; they replaced him and have continued to tour.  In 2005, Grand Funk Railroad was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.  In 2009, three of their recordings were voted to be added to the list of Legendary Michigan Songs:  We're an American Band, Closer to Home/I'm Your Captain, and Some Kind of Wonderful.

Did you know . . .

1. In 1970, Grand Funk Radio sold more albums than any other American band or concert attraction that year.

2. Homer Simpson, of The Simpsons, is a huge fan of Grand Funk Radio.  In the season 12 episode, A Tale of Two Springfields, he hands a list of requests to The Who.  The list consists entirely of GFR songs plus Pacman Fever.

3. While on tour in 1971, they broke The Beatles' Shea Stadium record by selling out in 72 hours.

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