MAYETTA (KSNT) – Grand Funk Railroad, the band behind the No. 1 hit The Loco-Motion, is set to perform at Prairie Band Casino and Resort on March 9 at 7 p.m.
The rock band, which has been awarded 13 Gold Records and 10 Platinum Records, is currently on its “We’re an American Band” tour.
Don Brewer, Mark Farner and Mel Schacher opted out of their bands and formed Grand Funk Railroad in 1969 in Flint, Michigan, and success followed shortly after. The band got its first big break when they were asked to perform at the Atlanta Pop Festival on July 4, 1969, to a crowd of 180,000 people, according to the band’s website. They were then signed by Capitol Records and released their first album, On Time, one month later.
In 1970 the band returned to the Atlanta Pop Festival as headliners, and played an additional 96 shows, with two being sold out at Madison Square Garden.
The band changed their tune with a new producer, Todd Rundgren, in 1973. Grand Funk Railroad achieved their first No. 1 single, “We’re an American Band,” and their album, with the same title, rose to No. 1.
In 1974 their hit “The Loco-Motion” earned the top spot on the charts. For the next couple years, the band toured nationally and internationally while releasing more music for their growing fanbase.
By 1980 the original trio considered going back on tour, but Schacher declined and was replaced by Dennis Bellinger, a bass player. Brewer, Farner and Bellinger went on to release two albums and toured both in the U.S. and overseas. By 1982, the band took a break.
The band returned to touring in 1996, selling out shows and achieving a record of being one of the top 10 grossing tours of 1998, according to the band’s website.
Farner decided to leave the group in 1998, and two years later singer Max Carl, guitarist Bruce Kulick, and backup vocalist/keyboardist Tim Cashion joined. This group, in addition to Brewer and Schacher, make up the band today.
Grand Funk Railroad has sold over 25 million records worldwide, according to its website.
Tickets and more information for the concert are available here.
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