Grand Funk Railroad Co-Founder Mark Farner On His New “From Chile With Love” Release, Philanthropy, Plans & More

In the often-quoted words of Rolling Stone Magazine writer and editor David Fricke: “You cannot talk about rock in the 1970s without talking about Grand Funk Railroad!”

Formed in 1969 in Flint, Michigan, Grand Funk Railroad’s 1971 performance at New York’s Shea Stadium sold out faster than that of The Beatles. To date, Grand Funk Railroad has scored 19 charting singles and 16 gold records and/or platinum records, with over 30 million units sold worldwide. And as one of the founding members of Grand Funk Railroad, singer and guitarist Mark Farner is of course widely-viewed as the engine that pulled the original Grand Funk to the top of the charts.

Mark Farner’s American Band’s latest release is the From Chile With Love concert DVD. The release includes 16 live performances, 5 bonus tracks and videos. $3.00 from each pre-sold copy of From Chile With Love — as indeed filmed in Chile — goes to supporting The Veterans Support Foundation, aiding transitional housing for U.S. veterans. When I had spoke with the Michigan native last year, he had been active in supporting Mid-Michigan Flood Relief, showing that Farner not only keeps busy with touring and recording projects but also in trying to make the overall world a better place.

On May 11, 2021, I had the pleasure — and I do mean “the pleasure” — of interviewing Mark Farner for a second time. Besides talking about From Chile With Love, we touched upon Grand Funk Railroad’s legacy, positivity, future plans as a musician, hobbies during the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020, and plenty more. Tour dates and additional info on Farner can be found here, here, here and here.

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Tags: Detroit, Grand Funk, Grand Funk Railroad, Mark Farner, Michigan

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."