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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Mark Farner| image = Mark Farner (2009).jpg| caption = Mark Farner performing at the Fall Fest in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, 2009.| background = solo_singer| birth_name =| alias =| birth_date = Birth date and age|1948|9|29| birth_place = Flint, Michigan|Flint , Michigan , United States| death_date =| instrument = Guitar , singing|vocals , Keyboard instrument|keyboards , harmonica , bass guitar | genre = Rock music|Rock , hard rock , Contemporary Christian music|CCM | occupation = Musician , songwriter | years_active = 1965–present| label = Capitol Records|Capitol , MCA Records|MCA , Atlantic Records|Atlantic , Warner Music|Warner , Lismark| associated_acts = Grand Funk Railroad , Terry Knight and the Pack , N'rG , Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band | website = URL| http://www.markfarner.com| notable_instruments = Mark Fredrick Farner (born September 29, 1948 in Flint, Michigan ) is an American singer , guitarist and songwriter , best known as the lead singer and lead guitarist for Grand Funk Railroad , and later as a contemporary Christian music ian.
Early life and career
Farner began his career in music by playing in Terry Knight and The Pack (1965–1966), The Bossmen (1966), The Pack (aka The Fabulous Pack) (1967–1968), before forming Grand Funk Railroad with Don Brewer (drums) and Mel Schacher ( bass guitar ) in 1969.Citation needed|date=March 2011 Craig Frost (keyboards) joined the band in 1973. Farner has Cherokee ancestry deriving from his maternal side.cite web | last = Smith | first = Noel Lyn | title = Grand Funk's frontman to rock Jackson arena | publisher = navajotimes.com | url = http://www.navajotimes.com/entertainment/2009/1009/100109grandfunk.php | accessdate = 2010-04-11
With Grand Funk
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) ".cite video | date=March 7, 1999 | title=Grand Funk Railroad | publisher= VH1 Behind the Music
Grand Funk's '' We're An American Band (song)|We're An American Band '' reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 on Mark's 25th birthday on September 29, 1973.Citation needed|date=March 2011
Post-Grand Funk
After Grand Funk initially disbanded in 1976, Farner released his first self titled solo album in 1977, and his second, No Frills , in 1978 (both Atlantic Records).Citation needed|date=March 2011 In 1981, Farner and Don Brewer launched a new Grand Funk line-up and recorded two albums, Grand Funk Lives and '' What's Funk? ''.Citation needed|date=March 2011 Farner went solo again with 1988's Just Another Injustice on Frontline Records (1980s)|Frontline Records .Citation needed|date=March 2011 His third Frontline release was 1991's Some Kind of Wonderful , which featured a revamped version of Some Kind of Wonderful (Soul Brothers Six song)|the Grand Funk classic of the same name . Farner 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.Citation needed|date=March 2011 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.Citation needed|date=March 2011 Farner toured with Ringo Starr 's Allstars from 1994 to 1995, which also featured Randy Bachman , John Entwistle , Felix Cavaliere , Billy Preston , and Starr's son, Zak Starkey .Citation needed|date=March 2011 In the late 1990s, Farner reunited with Grand Funk, but left after three years to resume his solo career. He currently tours with his band, N'rG, which plays a mixture of Grand Funk songs and Farner's solo offerings.Citation needed|date=March 2011
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 Americans in the United States|Native ancestry and his contributions. Members of the Lakota Nation presented him with a hand-made ceremonial quilt .cite web |url= http://www.markfarner.com/awards.php |work=Mark Farners Official Website|title=Lakota Sioux Elders Honor Mark, Ceremonial Quilt Presented |date= August 28, 1999 |accessdate=February 6, 2011 He has also been honored with the Cherokee Medal of Honor by the Cherokee Honor Society.cite web|url= http://www.markfarner.com/awards.php |title=Mark Farner's official website:: |publisher=Markfarner.com |date= |accessdate=2012-03-07
An authorized biography of Farner, entitled From Grand Funk to Grace , was published in 2001.cite book|title=From Grand Funk to Grace: Authorized Biography of Mark Farner|first= Kristofer |last=Engelhardt|publisher= Collector's Guide Publishing, Inc.|year= 2001|isbn= 978-1-896522-74-6
In popular culture
Mark Farner was mentioned in episode 9 of season 8 of the HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm in September 2011.
Discography
Mark Farner , 1977
Monumental Funk , 1977 (with Don Brewer)
No Frills , 1978
Just Another Injustice , 1988
Wake Up , 1989
Some Kind of Wonderful , 1991
Closer to Home , 1992
Heirlooms , 2000
Red White and Blue Forever , 2002
''Live!& #33; N'rG , 2003
For the People , 2006
References
Reflist
External links
Official website|1= http://www.markfarner.com
http://www.vintagerock.com/mfarner_interview.aspx 2008 Mark Farner interview
Grand Funk Railroad Persondata | NAME = Farner, Mark | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = September 29, 1948 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Flint, Michigan|Flint , Michigan , United States | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Farner, Mark Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:American Christians Category:American people of Cherokee descent Category:American rock guitarists Category:American rock singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Songwriters from Michigan Category:Musicians from Michigan Category:People from Flint, Michigan Category:Lead guitarists Category:Grand Funk Railroad members Category:American performers of Christian music
