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Grand Funk
1968-1976; 1981-1983; 1996-
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Artistfacts:
| Sometimes they were known as either Grand Funk Railroad or GFR. |
| Dismissed by critics and radio programmers, Grand Funk was able to sell over 20 million albums through constant touring. They frequently sold out stadiums and arenas. |
| Farner was a football player before an injury ended his career at 15. He then picked up the guitar. |
| Brewer and Farner met while playing with Terry Knight and the Pack. Schacher was in ? And The Mysterians. Knight became GFR's manager. He was the one who came up with their name - it was a play on "Grand Trunk Railroad." |
| They were signed to a record deal immediately after a set full of energy at the Atlanta Pop Festival in 1969. |
| In 1971, they broke the Beatles' Shea Stadium record for ticket sales. GFR sold out two nights in 72 hours. They made over $300,000. |
| Linda McCartney's father, John Eastman, was the band's attorney while they were sued by Knight after they tried to fire him. |
| Frost and Brewer would later be members of Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band. They joined at separate times, though. |
| They band was going to break up earlier, but stayed together because Frank Zappa wanted to produce an album for them. He produced Good Singin', Good Playin' and they broke up after that. |
| Farner saw some solo success in the late 1970's and then became a born-again Christian. His 1988 album, Just Another Injustice, went to #2 on the Religious (Inspirational) Charts. |
| Kulick has played with Kiss, Michael Bolton, Billy Squier, and Meatloaf. |
| The group's huge success is often attributed to the public relations expertise of manager Knight. In 1970, Knight reportedly paid $100,000 for a huge billboard in New York City's Times Square to promote the group's Closer To Home, which subsequently became their first Top 10 album, reaching number 6 and spawning the FM radio-staple title track. Knight died in 2004 when he was stabbed after trying to break up a fight between his daughter and her boyfriend. (thanks, Mike - Mountlake Terrace, WA) |
| They are Homer Simpson's favorite band. He says so in the episode in which he joins the traveling music festival Hullapalooza. (thanks, Jordan - Toronto, Canada) |
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Comments:
| I never knew that Mark, Don and Mel contained a gorgeous, huge, full color poster and then a copy with one fell into my lap check it out at:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320173648726&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=011
The sky seemed to be raining rare GFR after I caught the July 4th show at Busch Gardens. I found a Gold Vinyl copy of We're an American Band:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320173938876&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=011
After all this insanity I found a like new copy of E Pluribus Funk with a round, full color insert I never knew existed, I tell ya what, the heck with CDs, bring back the LPs!! You use to get more for your money:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320173937352&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=011
Great stuff from the greatest American Band ever!! Good luck on it all!!
- Darren, Tampa, FL |
| I read where Mark Farner was from Grand Blanc, Michigan, near Flint. If you drive from Grand Blanc to Flint, you go under a railroad underpass that states Grand Trunk Railroad. Surely that underpass had an impact on these guys from the Flint Area. - Randall, Monroe, MI |
| How come sometimes they're called Grand Funk, and other times Grand Funk Railroad? - Mike, Germantown, MD |
| Grand Funk Railroad was one of the hottest bands during the
"Woodstock Era" of 1968 to 1972. There songs were constantly played on underground FM radio stations and they sold out concert stadiums in minutes wherever they played. they were more popular than the Rolling Stones, the Doors and Led Zeppelin... Mick Jagger actually sat in on The "Survival" album's sessions and allowed them to cover the stone's "Gimmie shelter" song ... that same album saw Dave Mason permit the band to cover the song Feelin Alright made popular by Joe Cocker...This came to a crashing Halt when they made the unprecedented move of suing their manager. After that, they were stripped of the name Grand Funk Railroad, were blacklisted by the music business, and their much loved hits were not heard at all on radio for over 15 years after the lawsuit with Terry Knight - Kelly, Santa Rosa, CA |
| Grand Funk,along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath in 1969 were the only true hard rock bands. At the time they were the only bands who played what is the genre hard rock. I wrote that twice. Oh well, roll another one!!! - Don, Pittsburgh, PA |
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