Bob Funck was born and raised in the military town of Fayetteville, NC, the son of an Air Force officer. As a child of the seventies, Bob’s interest in music was cultured through listening to the classic and progressive rock collection of his older sister, which included Led Zeppelin, Yes, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Elton John, and Fleetwood Mac, among others. Eventually, it became evident through this process that Bob was developing a particular fascination with the guitar. This did not go unnoticed by his mother, who bought his first guitar for him (and arranged for him to take lessons) as a Christmas present when he was 15.  Henceforth began his journey into music making, and he later would call that guitar “the best material gift she ever gave me”. By age 17, Bob and a banjo playing friend would take 2^nd place for a bluegrass performance in a county-wide high school talent show.  It was around this time that he also discovered an affinity for songwriting, which would slowly but steadily develop for many years.

 

In the eighties, Bob went on to major in Philosophy and Religion at NC State University, then later earn a Master’s in Recreation Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Afterwards, he worked as a carpenter, a social worker and a youth/family counselor for several years, while continuing to develop his musicianship. He credits these experiences for the psychosocial, philosophical and spiritual elements in his music and lyricism. During this time, Bob played in a classic rock/soul cover band called the Rhythm Doctors, and later formed the original rock band Kernel Mustard, for which he acted as lead singer, rhythm/lead guitarist, and lead songwriter for several years. After Kernel Mustard disbanded in 2004, Bob decided to fully embrace a yearning for acoustic solo performance and has been doing so ever since.

 

Bob Funck’s music can be described as rhythmic, acoustic folk-rock with a warm, melodic complexity that is both accessible and unpredictable. His vocal melodies are colorful and adventuresome, yet laden with irresistible hooks. The songs are at once melancholy and hopeful, weaving philosophical, social, psychological, and spiritual themes into intricate lyrical tapestries. Bob’s range of musical influences is wide and varied, and includes Toad the Wet Sprocket, Neil Young, the Beatles, Mary Chapin Carpenter, 10,000 Maniacs, Phish, Nancy Griffith, the Jayhawks, Fleetwood Mac, the Grateful Dead, David Gray, Ben Folds Five, and Sheryl Crow, although Bob is quick to say that he doesn’t think he sounds much like any of them. As a guitarist, Bob has had the chance (almost serendipitously) to study under such teachers as Jimmy Herring (Allman Brothers, The Dead), Scott Sawyer (Nina Freelon), Ed Stephenson (Meredith College Classical Guitar Program), and Harold Green (North Carolina Central University Jazz Program, Gradys Hat), resulting in a very eclectic playing style. Bob’s guitar work is a dynamic, expressive blend of alternating picking and syncopated strumming that often employs an unusual, “beautiful dissonance” approach to chord selection. His voice is stirring, rangy, and emotive, exuding the kind of feeling that only comes from bare sincerity. Bob currently lives in Durham, NC, performs regularly as a solo artist, and is steadily establishing himself as a significant presence in the North Carolina music scene.