Frank Zappa

FRANK ZAPPA d1993. American guitarist record producer and film director. In a prolific career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock jazz electronic orchestral and musique concrete works. He also directed feature-length films, music videos and designed album covers ; also producing almost all of the 60 albums he released with his band Mothers Of Invention and as a solo artist. Whilst in his teens, he had acquired a taste for percussion-based avant-guarde composers and 1950s rhythm & 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 humorously reflected his iconoclastic view of established social and political processes, to widespread critical acclaim. Many of his albums are now considered essential in rock and jazz history. He is regarded as one of the most original guitarists and composers of his time and remains a major influence on many musicians and composers. He died of prostrate cancer in 1993 aged 52.