{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2Fc2a375a1-d13f-49ff-b7be-8519d4173b6c","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"Episode 031\u2013Mark Farner Grand Funk Railroad Rock Patriot with Bruce Hilliard","description":"Legendary all-American frontman and guitarist Mark Farner was the engine that pulled the original Grand Funk Railroad to the top of the charts, and today he\u2019s a platinum recording artist 30 times over. At age 69, Farner commands the stage with the same intensity and outpouring of love as he did at 20 during the summer of \u201969, and his fans are still flocking to their captain. The rock patriot\u2019s synergy and open heart come through in epic hits that defined a generation\u2014 \u201cI\u2019m Your Captain (Closer to Home),\u201d \u201cWe\u2019re An American Band,\u201d a recut of \u201cThe Loco-Motion,\u201d and \u201cSome Kind of Wonderful\u201d\u2014 and \u201crock star\u201d is only one facet of this Michigan-born son\u2019s legacy. Farner is also about as real as they get: He\u2019s a husband, in his fourth decade of marriage to wife Lesia. He\u2019s a family man with five adult sons. And he\u2019s a caregiver.\r\n\r\n\u201cI think our fans connected to our songs because we were sincere,\u201d Farner said. \u201cMy lyrics were about Mother Earth, stop the war, and all about love. They still have a point of reference with me in their heart.\u201d\r\n\r\nAfter the 1969 Atlantic Pop Festival put Grand Funk Railroad on the fast track, the band topped the Billboard Chart twice with the anthem \u201cWe\u2019re an American Band\u201d (1973) and 1974\u2019s \u201cThe Loco-Motion.\u201d The Flint, Mich., trio reached the top 10 with \u201cSome Kind of Wonderful\u201d (No. 3) and \u201cBad Time\u201d (No. 4) before GFR disbanded for the first time in 1976. Although Farner joined up with the band during its 1980s and 1990s reunifications and has collaborated with other artists over the years, he\u2019s forged an enduring solo career focused on bringing a message of love to his fans in all corners.\r\n\r\n\u201cLove is unconditional,\u201d he said. \u201cJust like when you hold a baby, the love transfers. I feel that when I\u2019m on stage from the audience.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe son of a World War II veteran/four-time bronze star recipient and career fireman also knows the importance of brotherhood and commitment. On his mother\u2019s side, he champions his Cherokee heritage and the fact that his mother was the first women welder in the United States to weld on a tank during World War 2. It just happened to be the same type of Sherman tanks his father drove. Farner\u2019s work on and off the stage is focused on honoring service personnel and veterans and offering support to American farmers, individuals with disabilities, and downtrodden populations.\r\n\r\nFarner, the rock patriot that he is, works tirelessly to honor service personnel and Veterans everywhere. He wants everyone to remember the huge sacrifices the men and women of our armed services give up to protect our amazing country and our freedoms.\r\n\r\nIn 2010, Farner\u2019s youngest son Jesse, then 21, was injured in an accident that left him quadriplegic. This life-changing event motivated Farner to intensify his career and keep his message of love, hope and connection burning bright. Facing what many of his generation also face\u2014providing and caring for a loved one\u2014Farner\u2019s lasting faith continues to inspire and guide him.\r\n\r\n\u201cI love playing where I can connect with people of all backgrounds,\u201d he said. \u201cMy family and I are so grateful when fans share that they are praying for us and praying for Jesse. We have challenges like most people \u2013 we get through the day with each other and focus on the power of positive energy.\u201d\r\n\r\nMark Farner's American Band","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/75e1bb90-9936-4422-8389-315442138b76/cqrnbac0uvttynuvsbrfssi1.png"}