Fort Lauderdale Magazine: Hi Don, it’s a pleasure to meet the founding member, original drummer and singer of Grand Funk Railroad.
Don Brewer: [Laughs] Very nice to meet you. Thank you.
FLMag: I’m going to begin by asking a question that I’m certain everyone has wondered: How did you create the band’s name?
Don: We grew up in Flint, Michigan, and there was a railroad that ran through Flint called the Grand Trunk and Western Railroad. And in the late ’60s, a new term for music came along: funk. So we were looking to make a change in our name. We had been called The Pack, and Terry Knight and The Pack, and all these other bands. So we wanted to do something to give us a change. So we did a play on words, Grand Funk Railroad, sort of Grand Trunk Railroad. And back then, that was very risque. You know: “What’s the name of your band?” “Grand Funk Railroad.” And they’d go, “What did you say?”
FLMag: Sounded like you were swearing at them. [Laughs]
Don: [Laughs] So, you know, it got a lot of curiosity.
FLMag: And it’s a great name, it really is. And it’s Grand Funk now — nobody even uses “Railroad.” It’s just Grand Funk. Is that right?
Don: Well, it’s either/or. Whatever you want to call it, yeah.
FLMag: You began playing drums at what age?
Don: I started when I was about 14. I think before that, I played clarinet and guitar.
FLMag: And then you started your first band at age 12. Is that true?
Don: I was playing guitar in that band. [Laughs]
FLMag: Very talented. Capitol Records signed you in 1969, and over 1 million copies of your first album, On Time, were sold. This amazes me because in 1970, your second album, Grand Funk, was released; Closer to Home was released, with its title track becoming one of the biggest singles with that orchestra arrangement, and that went multi-platinum. And then the very same year, your first Live Album went gold, making it the third gold album in one year. And that’s unbelievable. I’m not certain if that has ever been done.
Don: So those were the days when bands like us were, you know [laughs], under contract with a record company, and we had to produce two records and two tours a year. That was part of the contract. As the bands got more power and went into the ’80s, they started taking two or three years to produce an album and two or three years between tours. But in the early ’70s, the bands were at the mercy of the record companies, so we had to do two albums and two tours every year. That explains why we put out so much in such a short amount of time.
FLMag: I’ve never heard of that much success in such a short time.
Don: Yeah, we did. We went to the top pretty quick.
FLMag: And this is another astounding fact. Wow, in 1971 you guys broke the Beatles’ ticket sales record at New York Shea Stadium.
Don: Yeah, we sold out faster than the Beatles. That’s amazing, too.
FLMag: How did knowing that make you feel?
Don: You know, all of that was “Pinch me, is it real?” You know? And at the same time, we had a billboard in Times Square where they used the whole block-long billboard for the album cover of Closer to Home — our three faces were up there. So we went down to Times Square, and there we are, on this billboard. I was like, “Oh, my, is this really happening?”
FLMag: Your biggest-selling song, “We’re an American Band,” was released in 1973, became a ’70s staple and was recognized as one of the greatest songs to come out of the golden era of rock, with Grand Funk being considered one of the most influential bands in history. How do you explain all of that quick success without burning out?
Don: Well, we did. We finally did burn out. In 1976, we got to the point where we had to stop. Because we were still doing two tours and two albums a year, you know, it just got to be too much. But for that time period from 1969 to 1976, yeah, we were smoking hot, and it was great. Everybody was totally into it. We loved doing what we were doing, it was great, and it was a wonderful time.
FLMag: And you worked hard. I guess that’s how you were so successful: Hard work leads to success. And then after that, you continued releasing albums and touring throughout Europe and Japan for many more years. Is that correct? Before you broke up.
Don: Yeah, we finally broke up. Free in the ’80s. And then, we got back together for a reunion tour in 1996, so there’s about a 15-year period there where we weren’t on the road.
FLMag: Okay, well, you are definitely one of the most celebrated drummers now living in Jupiter, Florida. How many shows a year do you continue to perform now?
Don: We do about 45, and that’s enough for us. I mean, some of the bands [we do shows with] — we just did a show with 38 Special a couple of weeks ago, and they’re doing like, 100 shows. And, oh, my, that would just kill us. A lot of the bands get on a bus, you know, and they go, go, go. We’ve never done that. You know, about 40, 45, shows a year is our maximum.
FLMag: I can imagine that’s enough. Because it’s great now that you can still enjoy both family and stage at this point in your life. It’s time to enjoy your family life as well.
Don: Yeah, we do all fly shows. Where we fly. We don’t do buses. So we can go out on a Friday, play a Saturday, be home on Sunday.
FLMag: And that’s why I’m doing this interview on Wednesday, because you’re probably traveling tomorrow. Originally, I requested a Thursday interview.
Don: I am traveling tomorrow [laughs hard].
FLMag: Can you clarify the [number] of gold and platinum albums you released?
Don: I don’t know. I’d have to count them — let me see. I’ve got them up here on my wall: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Platinum are about the same — about 14 of both.
FLMag: Now I want a photograph of you sitting in front of those albums for the magazine [laughs].
Don: [Laughs] Yeah, I can try to shoot a picture.
FLMag: While you were growing up, which genre influenced you the most?
Don: Dino Dinelli from The Rascals was one of my favorites. I loved that band, and I love the way Dino played. I would put him right at the top. Of course, I was influenced by all of the swing drummers, like Buddy Rich. I’m a rock and roll guy. I’ve always been a rock and roll guy. I remember being in the marching band at school, and I hated the John Phillips Souza marches and always wanted to play rock and roll. Always rock.
FLMag: And that’s how you made your living.
Don: Yeah.
FLMag: Well, you have filled our hearts and heads with so many musical memories. I’m so grateful to have seen you live in the ’70s. Do you have anything new that you’re working on?
Don: No, we’re a touring band. I mean, we’ve got new stuff. We’ve got a couple of new songs that we do in the show — we rotate them — but we know that people want to hear the hits, so we focus on giving everybody the hits: “Footstompin’ Music,” “I’m Your Captain,” “Closer to Home,” “Locomotion,” “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “Heartbreaker.” You know, we give them all what they want.
WHAT: Grand Funk Railroad
WHEN: 9/26, 7:30pm
WHERE: Lillian S. Wells Hall at The Parker
TICKETS: browardcenter.org
