Organizers of the benefit concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the John Entwistle Foundation today confirmed that legendary Grand Funk Railroad guitarist and lead vocalist Mark Farner has been added to the September 20, 2008 concert line-up. Farner will join Blue Oyster Cult guitarist Buck Dharma and former Deep Purple/Rainbow lead vocalist Joe Lynn Turner on-stage, along with former members of the John Entwistle Band, in what has become one of the most anticipated concert events of 2008.
Farner found success at age 20 as the unmistakable voice of the original Grand Funk Railroad, a band that rose to international superstar status in the early 1970s and went on to record 12 platinum and 15 gold selling albums. On his 25th birthday Farner’s rock classic 'We’re An American Band' peaked at #1 on the Hot 100 chart. Other legendary Grand Funk Railroad hits include 'The Loco-Motion', 'Bad Time', 'Some Kind Of Wonderful', and 'I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home)'. In 1971 Grand Funk Railroad broke The Beatles' 1966 attendance record for a single show at Shea Stadium in New York -- a record that stands to this day. The original band called it quits in 1977 before reuniting for several benefit shows in 1995 that were recorded and released as a double-live CD. Those concerts ultimately led to a three-year reunion tour that Pollstar ranked as one of the best of 1998. Among his many other credits, Farner has also toured as a member of Ringo Starr's All Starr Band.
Tickets to the September 20, 2008 event at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, North Carolina are now on sale via Ticketmaster and the Koka Booth box office.
This is all fine and well, but sadly, the way things are going, this will be as close to being inducted to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as any of these artists are ever liable to get. The way the RRHOF has treated these bands I'm surprised they're not charging them admission to play.
Grand Funk Railroad performing "Inside Looking Out" live from 1969. This clip was shot at "The Show" WITF-TV in Hershey,Pa. November 1969 :
