Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa

Biography: Frank Vincent Zappa  (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, electronic, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. Zappa produced almost all of the more than 60 albums he released with the band The Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. While in his teens, he acquired a taste for percussion-based avant-garde composers such as Edgard Varèse and 1950s rhythm and blues music. He began writing classical music in high school, while at the same time playing drums in rhythm and blues bands; he later switched to electric guitar. He was a self-taught composer and performer, and his diverse musical influences led him to create music that was often impossible to categorize. His 1966 debut album with The Mothers of Invention, Freak Out!, combined songs in conventional rock and roll format with collective improvisations and studio-generated sound collages. His later albums shared this eclectic and experimental approach, irrespective of whether the fundamental format was one of rock, jazz or classical. He wrote the lyrics to all his songs, which—often humorously—reflected his iconoclastic view of established social and political processes, structures and movements. He was a strident critic of mainstream education and organized religion, and a forthright and passionate advocate for freedom of speech, self-education, political participation and the abolition of censorship. Zappa was a highly productive and prolific artist and gained widespread critical acclaim. Many of his albums are considered essential in rock and jazz history. He is regarded as one of the most original guitarists and composers of his time. He also remains a major influence on musicians and composers. He had some commercial success, particularly in Europe, and for most of his career was able to work as an independent artist. Zappa was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. Zappa was married to Kathryn J. "Kay" Sherman from 1960 to 1964. In 1967, he married Adelaide Gail Sloatman, with whom he remained until his death from prostate cancer in 1993. They had four children: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen. Gail Zappa manages the businesses of her late husband under the name the Zappa Family Trust. Description above from the Wikipedia article Frank Zappa, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.  

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: December 21, 1940

Deathday: December 04, 1993

Popularity:

4.275

Known For

Sex in Today's World
Sex in Today's World

1967-01-11

Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution
Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution

1967-04-25

Frank Zappa - Summer '82: When Zappa Came to Sicily
Frank Zappa - Summer '82: When Zappa Came to Sicily

2014-10-05

Video From Hell
Video From Hell

1987-02-28

Frank Zappa filmt 200 Motels
Frank Zappa filmt 200 Motels

1971-12-23

Cheepnis
Cheepnis

2014-08-17

200 Motels
200 Motels

1971-11-10

Frank Zappa: The Torture Never Stops
Frank Zappa: The Torture Never Stops

2008-05-01

Frank Zappa: New York and Elsewhere
Frank Zappa: New York and Elsewhere

1980-06-01

Frank Zappa: The Present-Day Composer Refuses To Die
Frank Zappa: The Present-Day Composer Refuses To Die

2000-07-02

Frank Zappa: Phase II - The Big Note
Frank Zappa: Phase II - The Big Note

2002-06-20

Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Burnt Weeny Sandwich

1969-04-30

Zapped: Frank Zappa par Frank Zappa
Zapped: Frank Zappa par Frank Zappa

2016-01-01

Hey, Hey, We're The Monkees
Hey, Hey, We're The Monkees

1997-01-22

Funny
Funny

1988-04-01

Deep Purple: Made In Japan
Deep Purple: Made In Japan

1972-04-30

Fuck
Fuck

2006-11-10

Super Duper Alice Cooper
Super Duper Alice Cooper

2014-04-17

Made in Japan: The Rise of Deep Purple Mk II
Made in Japan: The Rise of Deep Purple Mk II

2014-09-12

EAV Rarities
EAV Rarities

2006-02-10

Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s
Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s

2002-08-30

Led Zeppelin Played Here
Led Zeppelin Played Here

2014-10-11

Feats First: The Life and Music of Lowell George
Feats First: The Life and Music of Lowell George

2015-03-23

Stupor Mundi: Livre 1, Rituel de décapitation du pape
Stupor Mundi: Livre 1, Rituel de décapitation du pape

2016-03-13

Head
Head

1968-11-06

Frank Zappa: Music In Review
Frank Zappa: Music In Review

2008-02-05

A Life of Extravaganza - The Genius Frank Zappa
A Life of Extravaganza - The Genius Frank Zappa

1993-01-01

Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth
Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth

1991-04-01

Yoko Ono: This Is Not Here
Yoko Ono: This Is Not Here

1972-05-11

The Rolling Stones - The First 20 Years
The Rolling Stones - The First 20 Years

1982-01-01

Amougies (Music Power - European Music Revolution)
Amougies (Music Power - European Music Revolution)

1970-05-01

Take Your Pills
Take Your Pills

2018-03-09

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice

2019-09-06

Echo in the Canyon
Echo in the Canyon

2019-05-24

Larry Flynt for President
Larry Flynt for President

2021-06-12

The Amazing Mr. Bickford
The Amazing Mr. Bickford

1987-01-01

Classic Albums: Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (') Over-Nite Sensation
Classic Albums: Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (') Over-Nite Sensation

2007-05-01

Frank Zappa: Does Humor Belong in Music?
Frank Zappa: Does Humor Belong in Music?

1985-08-26

Night Flight with Frank Zappa, Porn Wars
Night Flight with Frank Zappa, Porn Wars

1985-09-19

Baby Snakes
Baby Snakes

1979-12-21

Frank Zappa: We Don't Mess Around
Frank Zappa: We Don't Mess Around

1978-08-08

Pražákům, těm je hej
Pražákům, těm je hej

1991-04-01

Uncle Meat
Uncle Meat

1987-01-01

Frank Zappa: The Broadcast Archives
Frank Zappa: The Broadcast Archives

2008-04-01

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention: In the 1960's
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention: In the 1960's

2009-01-20

Frank Zappa - Live in Paris 1980
Frank Zappa - Live in Paris 1980

2008-06-12

The Big T.N.T. Show
The Big T.N.T. Show

1965-12-22

The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground

2021-10-15

Stupor Mundi: Livre 2, Les Hommes qui mangèrent la montagne
Stupor Mundi: Livre 2, Les Hommes qui mangèrent la montagne

2016-03-13

Kalvøyafestivalen - 50 år siden første riff
Kalvøyafestivalen - 50 år siden første riff

2021-12-13

The Art of Dissent
The Art of Dissent

2021-10-05

Manson: Music From an Unsound Mind
Manson: Music From an Unsound Mind

2019-08-13

Hart & Soul - The Hart Family Anthology
Hart & Soul - The Hart Family Anthology

2010-04-06

Stupor Mundi: Livre 3, La plus dangereuse rencontre
Stupor Mundi: Livre 3, La plus dangereuse rencontre

2019-09-19

An American Dissident: un tributo a Frank Zappa
An American Dissident: un tributo a Frank Zappa

1994-01-07

Frank Zappa: The Dub Room Special!
Frank Zappa: The Dub Room Special!

1982-06-01

The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels
The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels

1988-01-01

Frank Zappa: A Token of His Extreme
Frank Zappa: A Token of His Extreme

2005-08-02

Frank Zappa - John, Dan And Me
Frank Zappa - John, Dan And Me

2004-01-01

Rock this Town
Rock this Town

2022-03-24

Frank Zappa: A Token Of His Extreme
Frank Zappa: A Token Of His Extreme

2013-06-03

Classic Albums: Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention - Freak Out!
Classic Albums: Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention - Freak Out!

2021-10-08

Frank Zappa: Live in Barcelona
Frank Zappa: Live in Barcelona

1988-01-01

Frank Zappa: Peefeeyatko
Frank Zappa: Peefeeyatko

1991-01-01

All My Loving
All My Loving

1968-11-03

Cocaine Blues
Cocaine Blues

1983-01-02

The Male Swagger
The Male Swagger

Porridge and kerosene
Porridge and kerosene

1997-03-18

The Revenge of the Dead Indians
The Revenge of the Dead Indians

1993-01-01

Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention - The Lost Broadcast: The Beat Club '68
Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention - The Lost Broadcast: The Beat Club '68

2016-01-01

Steve Vai - His First 30 Years: The Documentary
Steve Vai - His First 30 Years: The Documentary

2022-09-07

Your vote
Your vote

1991-01-01

From Straight to Bizarre
From Straight to Bizarre

2012-02-21

The Wrecking Crew
The Wrecking Crew

2008-03-11

Roxy: The Movie
Roxy: The Movie

2015-09-10

Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words
Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words

2016-05-03

Live at Whisky a Go Go 1968
Live at Whisky a Go Go 1968

2024-06-21

Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa

1971-02-11

Frank Zappa: A Pioneer of the Future of Music
Frank Zappa: A Pioneer of the Future of Music

2007-04-22

The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers
The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers

1984-09-17

The Artist Formerly Known As Captain Beefheart
The Artist Formerly Known As Captain Beefheart

1997-08-19

You Are What You Eat
You Are What You Eat

1968-09-24

Marian Briozzo
Marian Briozzo

2018-04-19

Mondo Hollywood
Mondo Hollywood

1967-06-30

Služební cesta podporučíka Svěráka
Služební cesta podporučíka Svěráka

1989-01-01

The Yellow Shark
The Yellow Shark

1992-09-17

Decade
Decade

1989-12-09

Derailroaded
Derailroaded

2005-03-01

Uncle Howard
Uncle Howard

2017-03-10

Frank Zappa: The Freak Out List
Frank Zappa: The Freak Out List

2010-04-19

Zappa
Zappa

2020-11-27

Frank Zappa - Over-Nite Sensation
Frank Zappa - Over-Nite Sensation

1973-09-01

Cover Your Ears
Cover Your Ears

2023-05-08