Episode 52 – Mark Farner

“I’m Your Captain (Closer To Home)” celebrates 50 years

Mark Farner is a rock and roll American icon. As one of the founding members, lead singer, lead guitarist, and wrote ninety percent of the Grand Funk Railroad (GFR) music catalog, Farner has always been known as the energetic driving force on stage, the engine that pulled the original Grand Funk Railroad to the top of the charts. From his soulful voice and power rock riffs, to fueling the Funk with his atomic stage presence. His story and his imprint on music starts with Flint, MI and since 1969 from his humble beginnings and a blue-collar outlook, Farner has captained a global crusade for love and freedom.

This June marked the 50th anniversary of GFR’s “I’m Your Captain (Closer To Home),” a song that sits alongside massive hits such as, “Some Kind Of Wonderful,” “Foot Stompin’ Music,” “Heartbreaker,” “Locomotion,” “We’re An American Band,” and others. Farner talks to Buddy Iahn and Matt Bailey about the impact of “I’m Your Captain,” his legacy, and Mark Farner’s American Band, the banner he’s now touring as. He also gives us his strong opinions on a Grand Funk reunion.

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Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com