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
Atlanta International Pop Festival I
Atlanta International Pop Festival (1969)
Grand Funk Railroad