Mark Farner

Mark Fredrick Farner (born September 29, 1948) is an American musician. He was the original singer and guitarist of the rock band Grand Funk Railroad, which he co-founded in 1969, and later as a contemporary Christian musician.

Early life and career Farner began his career in music by playing in Terry Knight and The Pack (1965–1966), The Bossmen (1966–1967), Craig Frost (keyboards) joined the band in 1972. Farner is of Cherokee descent on his maternal side.

With Grand Funk Railroad

Farner was the guitarist and lead singer for Grand Funk Railroad as well as the songwriter for most of their material. His best-known composition is the 1970 epic "I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)". Reaching #22 in October 1970 marked the group's very first Top 40 single on the U.S. pop charts. While it was a modest success on Top 40 singles charts, the epic, 10-minute track was a massive, runaway hit on progressive rock radio stations. Driven by the massive airplay of the single, the parent album, also titled "Closer to Home", soared all the way to #6 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Later the compilation album "Mark, Don & Mel: 1969-71" peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart in 1972. . He also wrote the 1975 hit "Bad Time", the last of the band's four singles to make the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Post-Grand Funk Railroad After Grand Funk initially disbanded in 1976, Farner released his self-titled debut solo album in 1977, and his second, No Frills, in 1978 (both Atlantic Records). In 1981, Farner and Don Brewer launched a new Grand Funk line-up with bassist Dennis Bellinger and recorded two albums, Grand Funk Lives and What's Funk? Farner went solo again with 1988's Just Another Injustice on Frontline Records. His third Frontline release was 1991's Some Kind of Wonderful, which featured a revamped Jesus version of the Grand Funk classic of the same name. Farner became a born again Christian in the late 1980s and enjoyed success with the John Beland composition "Isn't it Amazing", which earned him a Dove Award nomination and reached No. 2 on the Contemporary Christian music charts.

In the 1990s, Farner formed Lismark Communications with former Freedom Reader editor Steve Lisuk. Soon after, Farner began reissuing his solo albums on his own record label, LisMark Records.

From 1994 to 1995, Farner toured with Ringo Starr's Allstars, which also featured Randy Bachman, John Entwistle, Felix Cavaliere, Billy Preston, and Starr's son, Zak Starkey.

In the late 1990s, Farner reunited with Grand Funk, but left after three years after disagreements with Brewer and resumed his solo career. He currently tours with his band, Mark Farner's American Band, which plays a mixture of Grand Funk songs and Farner's solo offerings.

Farner was voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2015. He had previously been inducted as a member of both Grand Funk Railroad and Terry Knight & The Pack.

Other interests Farner was honored with the Lakota Sioux Elders Honor Mark in 1999. During the concert in Hankinson, North Dakota, a special presentation was held honoring Mark's Native ancestry and his contributions. Members of the Lakota Nation presented him with a hand-made ceremonial quilt. He has also been honored with the Cherokee Medal of Honor by the Cherokee Honor Society.

In popular culture

Mark Farner is mentioned by Homer Simpson in The Simpsons episode, "Homerpalooza", in season 7, episode 24 of the series. As Homer drives his children and their friends to school, Grand Funk is on the car radio. The children do not like it and ask him to change the station when he responds, "you kids don't know Grand Funk? The wild, shirtless lyrics of Mark Farner. The bong-rattling bass of Mel Schacher. The competent drum work of Don Brewer?"

Mark Farner was mentioned in episode 9 of season 8 of the HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm in September 2011.

Discography

Studio albums Mark Farner, 1977 No Frills, 1978 Just Another Injustice, 1988 Wake Up..., 1989 Some Kind of Wonderful, 1991 For the People, 2006 Closer to My Home, 2024

with Grand Funk Railroad

On Time (1969) Grand Funk (1969) Closer to Home (1970) Live Album (1970) Survival (1971) E Pluribus Funk (1971)

We're an American Band (1973) Shinin' On (1974) All the Girls in the World Beware!!! (1974) Caught in the Act (1975) Born to Die (1976) Good Singin', Good Playin' (1976) Grand Funk Lives (1981) What's Funk? (1983) Bosnia (1997)

Other releases Closer to Home, 1992 (best-of) Heirlooms: The Complete Atlantic Sessions, 2000 (re-release of Farner's two first studio albums) Red White and Blue Forever, 2002 (mini-album) Live!! N'rG, 2003 Mark Farner the Rock Patriot, March 9, 2003, Live Extended Versions