1948 Keyboardist Craig Frost is born on April 20, 1948 in Flint, MI. 1948 Drummer Don Brewer is born on September 3, 1948 in Swartz Creek, MI. 1948 Guitarist and Vocalist Mark Farner is born on September 29, 1948 in Flint, MI. 1949 Bassist Dennis Bellinger is born on October 8, 1949. 1951 Bassist Mel Schacher is born on April 8, 1951 in Owasso, MI. 1965 Don Brewer and Mark Farner spend these years playing in various bands around the Flint, Michigan area, eventually ending up with Terry Knight & The Pack. 1966 Terry Knight and The Pack make the national charts with "I (Who Have Nothing)" which peaks at #46 on November 12, 1966. 1968 Don Brewer and Mark Farner eventually quit The Pack and recruit ? & The Mysterians' bass player Mel Schacher to form the "power trio" Grand Funk Railroad. 1969.07 Just prior to the success of Woodstock, other music festivals had started to appear across the country the summer and fall of 1969. <BR><BR> After hearing Grand Funk Railroad, Terry Knight became their manager and started drumming up gigs for the band, most of which they performed for free. Knight persaded the promoters of the Atlanta International Pop Festival to let Grand Funk play, unpaid. <BR><BR> The only unsigned act on the show, Grand Funk Railroad played before 180,000 people in 110-degree heat and the acclaim was instantaneous. Following their Atlanta appearance, the band was signed by Capitol Records. 1969.08 Over the next seven years, Grand Funk Railroad would tour the world. The band's concerts would set attendance records while at the same time, music critics would rip apart their recordings. Rolling Stone Magazine once called them the world's worst rock band, all the time that the working class rock fan embraced them as "The American Band". 1969.08.25 Grand Funk Railroad's first album released. Features original band member's Mark Farner, Don Brewer and Mel Schacher. http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/On_Time/ 1969.12.29 Grand Funk's second album, also known as "the Red Album", is rushed to release. http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Grand_Funk/ 1970.06.15 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Closer_To_Home/ 1970.11.16 Grand Funk's first live album. http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Live_Album/ 1971 Grand Funk Railroad continues as one of the top touring bands of their time, selling out concerts in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and South America. <BR><BR> They even sell out New York City's Shea Stadium faster than the Beatles did. 1971.04.15 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Survival/ 1971.11.15 11/15/71 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/E._Pluribus_Funk/ 1972.04 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Mark,_Don_&_Mel/ 1972.09 The band separates from Terry Knight, losing most everything related to the band except part of the name. They produce their next album "Phoenix" themselves and add keyboardist Craig Frost, an old friend from the Fabulous Pack days. Craig will become a permanent member of the group. http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Phoenix/ 1973.07.15 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/We're_An_American_Band/ 1974 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Monumental_Funk/ 1974.03 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Shinin'_On/ 1974.12 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/All_The_Girls_In_The_World_Beware!!!/ 1975.08 Grand Funk's second release featuring Live concert performances. http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Caught_In_The_Act/ 1976 After 12 gold and 10 platinum records, 19 charted singles, 8 Top 40 hits including two at Number One both selling more than one million each, total sales in excess of 25 million copies sold worldwide, and 7 years of touring the world as America's Band, Grand Funk Railroad calls it quits. Mark engages in a solo career. 1976.01 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Born_To_Die/ 1976.08 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Good_Singin'_Good_Playin'/ 1976.11 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Hits/ 1977 Mark releases his first solo album on Atlantic Records to critical aclaim. http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/F/Farner,_Mark/Discography/Mark_Farner/ 1978 Mark releases his second solo album, also on Atlantic and also to great reviews. http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/F/Farner,_Mark/Discography/No_Frills/ 1978 From the ashes of Grand Funk, Don Brewer, Mel Schacher and Craig Frost from "Flint", named after the members' hometown. 1980 to 1983 Mark, Don and Mel discuss reforming GFR. Mel goes into rehearsal with Mark and Don but decides not to record or tour for personal reasons. <BR><BR> Local Flint musician Dennis Bellinger is brought in to replace Mel on bass. <BR><BR> Mark, Don and Dennis tour throughout 1981-1982 and sell out shows in Japan and South America. 1981.07 Mark and Don with bassist Dennis Bellinger. http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Grand_Funk_Lives/ 1983 After two years of touring, Mark, Don and Dennis say goodbye again. <BR><BR> Mark resumes his solo career, eventually releasing four albums in the Contemporary Christian music genre. 1983.01 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/What's_Funk/ 1987 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Great!/ 1991.02.26 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Capitol_Collectors_Series/ 1992 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Heavy_Hitters/ 1996.05 Mark, Don and Mel discuss the possiblity of a reunion. They meet at a hunting lodge for a preliminary reheasal. <BR><BR> From May 1996 to July 1996 GFR reunite and perform before 260,000 people at 14 sold out shows. <BR><BR> The band hires Ringo Starr promoter David Fishof as their manager. 1997 to 1999 January 1997 - The band plans 3 shows in Detroit, New York and Los Angeles to benefit and bring awareness to orphans in the war torn country of Bosnia.<BR><BR> April - November 1997: The band plays 30+ shows in the U.S. and Japan with added sideman Howard Eddy Jr.<BR><BR> April 11, 1997: GFR perform on "Good Morning America".<BR><BR> April 20, 1997: The sound is recorded at the Detroit (Auburn Hills) show which will later be released as the live album Bosnia.<BR><BR> May 2, 1997: GFR perform on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno.<BR><BR> October 1997: The double live album Bosnia is released as a box CD set. The proceeds are to go to the Bosnia Relief Effort.<BR><BR> January 1998: The band switches management teams and hires Bobby Roberts and Jim Della Croce as co-managers.<BR><BR> April 29, 1998: GFR performs at Cleveland's Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame museum and donate articles for a display to be created at a future date.<BR><BR> The band plays a 65+ show tour throughout 1998 and is listed as one of the top 10 grossing tours of 1998. 1997.10.21 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Bosnia/ 1999 After giving the band a year more than they originally agreed on, Mark once again walks away from GFR to resume his solo career and goes on a national tour. <BR><BR> In March, VH-1 debuts a "Behind The Music" special on Grand Funk Railroad. It proves to be one of their most watched episodes. 1999.06.29 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/30_Years_Of_Funk/ 2000.12 In an effort to continue the renewed interest and popularity of Grand Funk, original members Don Brewer and Mel Schacher recruit singer Max Carl (38 Special), lead guitarist Bruce Kulick (KISS), and keyboardist Tim Cashion (Bob Seger and Robert Palmer) to round out the new version of the band. 2002 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Trunk_Of_Funk/ 2002 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Classic_Masters/ 2002 http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/G/Grand_Funk_Railroad/Discography/Live_-_The_1971_Tour/