Frank Zappa

American composer, lyricist, songwriter, guitarist, vocalist, bandleader, conductor, producer, filmmaker.
Born 21 December 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Died 4 December 1993 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
[bFrank Vincent Zappa[/b was of Italian origins, his grandfather having arrived in America from Partinico, Sicily. [b Frank Zappa[/b grew to be one of the most accomplished composers of the rock era, his music combining an understanding and appreciation for such contemporary classical figures as [bIgor Stravinsky[/b, [bKarlheinz Stockhausen[/b and [bEdgard Varèse[/b. These influences, coupled with an affection for late '50s doo-wop, rock & roll and skillful guitar-heavy rock, dominated pop in the '70s. However, [bZappa[/b was also a keen satirist, whose reserves of scorn and parody seemed bottomless and whose wicked sense of humor and absurdity continued to delight his numerous fans - even when his lyrics crossed the broadest bounds of taste.
[bZappa[/b was also a prolific record-maker in his time, astutely producing massive amounts of music on his own labels of [b[l=Bizarre Records, [l=Straight[/b & [b[l=Barking Pumpkin Records[/b and through distribution deals with [b[l=Rykodisc[/b and [b[l=Rhino Entertainment Company[/b. This after long unhappy associations with industry giants like [b[l=Warner Bros. Records[/b and the now-defunct [b[l=MGM[/b. In the '80s, [bZappa[/b then gained the rights to his old albums and began to reissue them, first on his own and then through [b[l=Rykodisc[/b. Throughout his recording career Zappa stayed consistently at the forefront of technology, investing in equipment, home-studio facilities and vault storage that would enable the fullest control over production of his works.
In 1988 his official autobiography emerged and he embarked on a world tour. Sadly, that was the end of his live performing when, in late 1991, it was confirmed that [bZappa[/b was seriously ill with cancer. Nevertheless, his schedule of album releases continued to be rapid. The [l301432 continues to this day with posthumous releases and remasters of the back catalog. His family remain in the industry, his wife [a498325 (aka [a2117913) the figurehead of the ZFT; [a237886 the force behind "[iZappa Plays Zappa[/i" as well as an accomplished guitarist in his own right; [a296279, [a1635870 and the more reserved [a296276.
Inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 (Performer).