Frank Zappa was a versatile musician who covered various musical genres over a long and productive career
@Musicians, Family and Childhood
Frank Zappa was a versatile musician who covered various musical genres over a long and productive career
Frank Vincent Zappa born at
He married Kathryn Sherman in 1960 and divorced her in 1964.
He married Adelaide Gail Sloatman in 1967. The couple had a loving marriage that produced four children and lasted till his death in 1993.
He was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in 1990 and died in 1993 at the age of 52.
He was born as the eldest of four siblings to Francis Vincent Zappa and Rose Marie. His father, a chemist cum mathematician worked in the defense industry and the family moved often because of his job requirements.
As a child he was accidentally exposed to mustard gas and radium due to which he was afflicted with several sicknesses, such as, asthma, earaches and sinus.
Because of his family’s frequent relocations he attended several high schools.
While attending Mission Bay High School, he started playing drums for a band. He did not like mainstream music and was influenced by avant-garde composers like Varese, Anton Webern, and Igor Stravinsky.
He went to Antelope Valley High School from where he graduated in 1958. He wrote orchestral pieces and conducted performances for his school orchestra.
He moved out of his house in 1959 and worked in advertising for a short period while trying to get a footing as a musician and composer. He played gigs at different nightclubs and recorded soundtracks for low-budget movies.
He wrote songs and composed music for other artists during the early 1960’s. He recorded some songs with singer-songwriter Ray Collins and Paul Buff, which helped him earn enough money to stage his own concert in 1963.
In 1965, he was asked to join the Rhythm & Blues band Soul Giants by Ray Collins. He joined as a singer cum guitarist, and renamed the band The Mothers of Invention.
The band released their debut album ‘Freak Out!’ in 1966. Considered to be among the first ever concept albums in rock music, the album did well in Europe and has since then garnered a cult following.
The very next year two albums were released: ‘Absolutely Free’ which comprised lyrics of political and social satire, and ‘Lumpy Gravy’ which featured orchestral music.
Frank Zappa was a versatile musician who was highly respected and admired for his unconventional style of ‘hybrid’ music which combined rock, jazz, and classical genres. The prolific entertainer had released over 60 albums during his lifetime which continue to inspire avant-garde musicians even today.