Tim Cashion is the current

keyboardist A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instru ...

for the classic-rock band

Grand Funk Railroad Grand Funk Railroad (often shortened to Grand Funk) is an American rock band formed in Flint, Michigan, in 1969 by Mark Farner (vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica), Don Brewer (drums, vocals) and Mel Schacher (bass). The band achieved pea ...

. He was born in Charlotte,

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. His father played

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

and wrote

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

songs, recorded 78rpm singles, and played with his friends in a local band. His mother was the

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

at the local church. Tim started playing drums at age five, playing with his older brother Pat. When Tim was nine, he started playing piano. Heavily influenced by the music of the 1960s, Tim began writing his own music. After 2 years of attending

Appalachian State University Appalachian State University (), or App State, is a Public university, public research university in Boone, North Carolina, United States. It was founded as a normal school, teachers' college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and th ...

, Tim was invited to join the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...

's School of Music, from which he graduated with a master's degree in Studio Music/Jazz Vocal. He is referred to as "Dr. Tim" during performances, due to having a doctorate in music.
Official Biography
When Cashion graduated, he was offered a job as the

percussionist A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...

for the Japanese artist Takanaka. After that, he joined Robert Palmer for his US tour. In 1993, he joined friend and fellow

alumnus

Jon Secada Juan Francisco Secada Ramírez (born October 4, 1961), better known as Jon Secada, is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. He has won two Grammy Awards and sold 15 million records, making him one of the best-se ...

on his debut tour. In 1996 he joined

Bob Seger Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is a retired American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded with the groups Bob Seger and the Last Heard and the Bob Seger System throu ...

and the

Silver Bullet Band Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is a retired American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded with the groups Bob Seger and the Last Heard and the Bob Seger System throu ...

for their US tour. In 1999 he once again joined Palmer for a US tour. Cashion currently plays the keyboard in the classic-rock band

and tours with the band. He released his first solo album titled ''Wake On Up'' in 2004. He has since released two more solo albums and has received 3 Carolina Beach Music Awards.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cashion, Tim American rock keyboardists Musicians from Charlotte, North Carolina Grand Funk Railroad members Year of birth missing (living people) Living people University of Miami Frost School of Music alumni 21st-century American keyboardists