After a few local concerts, manager Terry Knight managed to swing a deal with the promoters of the Atlanta International Pop Festival. Grand Funk Railroad played for free to 180,000 people in 110 degree heat during the July 4th celebration. The only unsigned act on the show, they were an instant hit.
Manager Terry Knight was fired in 1972, just weeks before his contract expired, resulting in years of law suits costing millions of dollars.
Grand Funk's first number one hit, which was also their biggest hit, was We're An American Band, written and sung by Don Brewer and reportedly about a real event that happened.
Grand Funk Railroad has 13 certified Gold albums and 10 certified Platinum albums, with 19 charted singles.
Born To Die was meant to be GFR's last album, showing the band members laying inside coffins on the album jacket. But they reunited for one more album after that with Frank Zappa on board as producer.
In 1973, keyboardist Craig Frost, another Michigan musician and a former member of The Fabulous Pack, was added to the band's lineup.
In 1970 manager Terry Knight reportedly paid $100,000 for a giant billboard hung in New York City's Times Square to promote the album Closer To Home, pushing the album into the top ten and establishing the title track as an AOR radio favorite.
Farner, Schacher and Brewer agreed to try it again as GFR in 1981, rehearsing songs and preparing to tour. Schacher pulled out at the last moment for personal reasons and was replaced by bassist Dennis Bellinger. They would tour, record two albums and then disband again.
After years of rumors that GFR would never tour again, Mark, Don and Mel began discussions about a reunion. Farner agreed to two years and Grand Funk Railroad once again started touring to sold out concerts. In 1997, they recorded the live album Bosnia to aid orphans in that country. At the end of two years, Farner agreed to tour one more year before resuming his solo career. The original Grand Funk Railroad finally retired in 1998.
Grand Funk Railroad is reportedly Homer Simpson's favorite band.
Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS both point to Grand Funk Railroad as an important early influence in their music.
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