Frank Zappa

Background

Frank Zappa was the oldest child of Francis Vincent Zappa and Rose Marie. His father, a chemist, and mathematician, worked in the military industry, and the family frequently relocated because of his job requirements. As a child, Zappa was accidentally exposed to mustard gas and radium, which caused him to suffer from asthma, earaches, and sinus infections. Since his family often relocated, he attended several high schools. He began playing drums in a band while attending Mission Bay High School. He disliked conventional music and was influenced by avant-garde composers like Varese, Anton Webern, and Igor Stravinsky. He attended Antelope Valley High School and graduated in 1958. He wrote orchestral music and conducted concerts for his school orchestra. In 1959, he moved out of his house and briefly worked in advertising while trying to establish himself as a musician and composer. He performed at different nightclubs and made soundtracks for low-budget films. During the early 1960s, he wrote songs and created music for other artists. Zappa recorded some songs with Ray Collins and Paul Buff, which helped him fund his own performance in 1963.

In 1965, Ray Collins invited Zappa to join the band Soul Giants. He joined as a vocalist and guitarist, renaming the band The Mothers of Invention. In 1966, the band released its debut album, “Freak Out!” The album, considered to be one of the earliest concept albums in rock music, did well in Europe and has since gained a cult following. The next year, two albums were released: “Absolutely Free,” with political and social satire lyrics, and “Lumpy Gravy,” with symphonic music. In 1968, the band released “We’re Only in It for the Money,” another concept album that satirized politics and hippie subculture. The music was a mix of rock and orchestral elements. Despite the rising popularity, the band was not doing well commercially, and they finally split up in 1969. “Hot Rats,” Zappa’s first album after the breakup of The Mothers of Invention, was released in the same year. It featured a different tone from his previous albums as it focused on instrumental music rather than vocal performance. In 1970, he formed The Mothers, a new backup band that included drummer Aynsley Dunbar, George Duke, Ian Underwood, and Jim Pons, among others. “Chunga’s Revenge” was the band’s debut album.

Zappa was a highly prolific musician who frequently released many albums in a year. He was a music lover who appreciated the freedom of artistic expression. Among the various albums he released throughout the 1970s, the most popular were “Over-Nite Sensation” (1973), “Zoot Allures” (1976), “Sheik Yerbouti” (1979), and “Joe’s Garage Act I” (1979). He was just as productive, if not more, in the 1980s. His best-known albums from this decade were “The Man from Utopia” (1983), “Them or Us” (1984), and “Guitar” (1987). The legendary musician was diagnosed with cancer in 1990. Although battling cancer, he continued to compose music. “The Yellow Shark” (1993) was the final of the several albums he released in the years leading up to his death. Many new albums were released posthumously using the previously unreleased material from Zappa’s recordings, thus continuing the legacy of Zappa even after his untimely death.