Of all the qualities that typified Frank Zappa, perhaps the most striking is that he was a paradox. A workaholic perfectionist rock star who eschewed the hippie culture of the 1960s, deploring its conformism, spurious ideals, and drug use, Zappa was not only a brilliant rock guitarist, but an orchestral composer, innovative filmmaker, music producer, businessperson, iconoclast, and perceptive political and social commentator. His oeuvre continually amazes: over 60 albums of music from rock to orchestral, in addition to innumerable films, concerts, and other accomplishments. Frank Vincent Zappa (b. 21 Dec 1940, Baltimore MD) began to play drums at the age of 12, and was playing in R & B groups by high school, switching to guitar at 18. After narrowly graduating from high school, and then dropping out of Junior College (where he met his first wife, Kay Sherman), Zappa worked in such jobs as window dresser, copywriter, and door-to-door salesperson. With the money he earned from scoring Run Home Slow (written by his high school English teacher, Don Cerveris), Zappa purchased a recording studio, and, after concocting an allegedly obscene recording for an undercover policeman, spent ten days in jail. Zappa's diverse range of albums (both with the seminal and protean groups The Mothers Of Invention, and Zappa; as well as solo releases) are renowned not only for their bravura musicianship, and satire, but also for offending various groups (usually religious and political). The 200 Motels soundtrack was deemed too offensive by the Royal Albert Hall, who cancelled scheduled concerts in 1975; and the song 'Jewish Princess' (1979) led to Jewish calls for Zappa to apologise. These, and such events as Zappa testifying before Congress in 1985 against rock music censorship, being appointed by Czechoslovakian president Václav Havel, as his Cultural Liaison Officer, or considering running for US president, have, unfortunately, been Zappa's only real source of mainstream publicity. Diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1991, Zappa nonetheless continued working at his Laurel Canyon CA home, until his death on 4 Dec 1993. His widow, Gail, and children, Dweezil, Moon, Ahmet, and Diva, soon-after released a statement to the press that simply stated: "Composer Frank Zappa left for his final tour just before 6pm Saturday."
When marrying Gail Zappa in a civil ceremony, Zappa pinned a pin saying 'congratulations from Mayor Lindsay' onto her in the absence of a ring. Was a school friend of Don Van Vliet (later, alias Captain Beefheart). Is known affectionately by his fans as FZ. Has an enormous following in the former communist countries of east-Europe. In July 1994 the International Astronomical Union named a Czech-discovered asteroid, "Zappafrank." Father of Diva Zappa, Moon Unit Zappa, Dweezil Zappa and Ahmet Zappa As a child, his favorite TV program was Robert Clampett' 's puppet show, Time for Beany. The small town of Bad Doberan, Germany holds an annual Zappanale festival, celebrating his life and music (first held in 1990). Was of French, Sicilian, Neapolitan, Greek and Arab ancestry. Is buried next to Lew Ayres in Westwood Memorial Park, Los Angeles, California. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. In 1995 a group of Lithuanian artists erected the world's only Zappa statue in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. In recent years, various re-workings of his songs have been recorded, including versions in Baroque instrumental and a'capella vocal stylings. Inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame in 1994. Zappa is the first, and so far only, artist to be inducted into both the Jazz and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame. His 1979 album "Joe's Garage" came 20th in Classic Rock Magazine's list of the 30 greatest concept albums of all time. [March 2003] Gave up his driver's license voluntarily, because he hated standing in line at the DMV. Wrote his own copyright notice, that appeared on his later records, and was the first to specifically mention sampling. Also released the first 3-inch CD single, with a remix of "Peaches En Regalia", in the late 1980s. Used a wah-wah with his onstage guitar setup, which he'd usually leave set in one position as a filter, rather than rock it to get the wah effect. Bought a small recording studio with the proceeds of his score for "Run Home Slow"; first came to public attention when he was arrested in a scandal involving the studio. (He was later cleared.) Started out playing drums in his teens, then adopted his brother's f-hole acoustic guitar, trying to copy horn and guitar solos on blues and jazz records. Later studied Music Theory in college. Included a warning-cum-guarantee on his late-1980s albums, deriding the Religious Right's attack on rock and pop music, and censorship in general, and concluding "If there is a Hell, its fires wait for them, not us." He was voted the 21st Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artists of all time by Rolling Stone. During his last days, he wanted to make a movie called Dwell. Dwell would be a musical about a giant spider, but from the spiders point of view. He was going to make it with the people from Mystery Science Theater 3000, and had several conversations with Kevin Murphy. Gene Simmons visited with the Zappa family at their home, socializing, some time before Zappa's death. During their visit, Zappa showed Simmons something that proved how prolific Zappa was - hundreds of master tapes of unreleased music.