TRAVERSE CITY, MI – The National Cherry Festival will welcome GRAND FUNK RAILROAD - “The American Band” to the Pepsi – Verizon Wireless Bay Side Music Stage presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan on Friday, July 13th.

“You cannot talk about rock in the 1970s without talking about Grand Funk Railroad!”   stated David Fricke, Rolling Stone Magazine, April 3, 2003.  Originating from Flint, Michigan in 1969, this top selling American rock group of the 70’s is “COMIN’ TO YOUR TOWN TO HELP YOU PARTY IT DOWN”.  Grand Funk Railroad is extremely excited to be touring in 2012 marking a 42 year milestone.  After playing to millions of fans on the band’s tours from 1996 to 2011, Grand Funk’s 2012 Tour will continue, with a stop at the National Cherry Festival, reaching both new and long-time fans.

Known as “The American Band”, the high-energy five-piece group will play forty shows all over the USA this year.  Grand Funk Railroad includes original founding members Don Brewer (vocals and drums, writer and singer of the multi-million selling hit, We’re An American Band) and bassist Mel Schacher, “The God Of Thunder”.  Joining Don and Mel are true “All Stars”.  Singer Max Carl is a rock veteran from 38 Special.  Max penned and sang 38’s biggest hit Second Chance and was co-founder of California’s legendary Jack Mack and the Heart Attack.  Don refers to Max as “the best blue-eyed soul singer on the planet".  Lead guitarist Bruce Kulick is best known for his 12 years with KISS and also has credits with Michael Bolton, Meatloaf and Billy Squier.  (KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were influenced early on by Grand Funk.)  Keyboardist Tim Cashion has a master’s degree in music from the University of Miami.  Affectionately called “Dr. Tim”, his credits include stints with Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band and English soul man Robert Palmer.

Grand Funk laid the groundwork for such bands as Foreigner, Journey, Van Halen and Bon Jovi with its signature hard driving sound, soulful vocals, muscular instrumentation and forceful pop melodies.  The fact that Grand Funk’s legacy still reigns over the Classic Rock landscape forty years after its 1969 birth in Flint, Michigan is a testament to the group’s influence and staying power.  Mega-hits We’re An American Band, I’m Your Captain/Closer To Home, Locomotion, and Some Kind Of Wonderful still receive continuous airplay on Classic Rock radio.  We’re An American Band has received notoriety in recent years being used in movie sound tracks and in television/radio advertising.  The huge hit was featured in a recent General Motors national TV ad campaign and in Disney’s animated feature film The Country Bears.  In 2004, We’re An American Band was featured in the Cuba Gooding Jr. film RADIO, and in 2005 it was featured in the swashbuckler SAHARA starring Matthew McConaughey.

Internationally acclaimed Grand Funk has toured the world, selling out in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and South America.  A 1971 performance at New York’s Shea Stadium sold out faster than the Beatles.  The group’s widespread appeal is also evident in its prestigious recording achievements.  Over their career,Grand Funk has had 19 charted singles, 8 Top 40 hits and two Number One singles (We’re An American Band and Locomotion, both selling more than one million each).  The group has now accumulated 13 gold and 10 platinum records with record sales in excess of 25 million copies sold worldwide.  The most recent gold CD award was presented to the band May 10, 2002 for their greatest hits package Grand Funk Railroad The Collectors Series.
The multi-talented band carries on the tradition of Grand Funk hits and creates a new chapter in the legacy of Grand Funk Railroad.

Tickets are on sale WEDNESDAY, May 16th at 8 a.m. by visiting www.cherryfestival.org $25 Premium Seats are limited.  General Admission tickets are $10, and are also limited.  One $15 V-Pass garners admission into each Bay Side Music Show!

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