<Tr> <Th> Past members </Th> <Td> Mark Farner Craig Frost Dennis Bellinger Howard Eddy, Jr . </Td> </Tr> <P> Grand Funk Railroad, sometimes shortened as Grand Funk, is an American rock band popular during the 1970s, when they toured extensively and played to packed arenas worldwide . David Fricke of Rolling Stone magazine once said, "You cannot talk about rock in the 1970s without talking about Grand Funk Railroad!" Known for their crowd - pleasing arena rock style, the band was well - regarded by audiences despite a relative lack of critical acclaim . The band's name is a play on words of the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, a line that runs through the band's home town of Flint, Michigan . </P> <P> The band was formed as a trio in 1969 by Mark Farner (guitar, vocals) and Don Brewer (drums, vocals) from Terry Knight and the Pack, and Mel Schacher (bass) from Question Mark & the Mysterians . Knight soon became the band's manager, as well as naming the band as a play on words for the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, a well - known rail line in Michigan . First achieving recognition at the 1969 Atlanta International Pop Festival I, the band was signed by Capitol Records . After a raucous, well - received set on the first day of the festival, the group was asked back to play at the 1970 Atlanta International Pop Festival II the following year . Patterned after hard - rock power trios such as Cream, the band, with Terry Knight's marketing savvy, developed its own popular style . In August 1969, the band released its first album titled On Time, which sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold record in 1970 . </P> <P> In February 1970, a second album, Grand Funk (or The Red Album), was awarded gold status . Despite critical pans and a lack of airplay, the group's first six albums (five studio releases and one live album) were quite successful . </P>

Who are the original members of grand funk railroad