Person Details

Birthday: 1940-12-21 13:17:49

Death: 1993-12-04 13:17:49

Aliases: Zappa , FZ , Френк Заппа

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

Homepage: https://www.zappa.com

Movie Involvements: 139

TV Involvements: 7


Most Famous Work

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Frank Vincent Zappa  ( December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, electronic, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. Zappa produced almost all of the more than 60 albums he released with the band The Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. While in his teens, he acquired a taste for percussion-based avant-garde composers such as Edgard Varèse and 1950s rhythm and 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—often humorously—reflected his iconoclastic view of established social and political processes, structures and movements. He was a strident critic of mainstream education and organized religion, and a forthright and passionate advocate for freedom of speech, self-education, political participation and the abolition of censorship. Zappa was a highly productive and prolific artist and gained widespread critical acclaim. Many of his albums are considered essential in rock and jazz history. He is regarded as one of the most original guitarists and composers of his time. He also remains a major influence on musicians and composers. He had some commercial success, particularly in Europe, and for most of his career was able to work as an independent artist. Zappa was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. Zappa was married to Kathryn J. "Kay" Sherman from 1960 to 1964. In 1967, he married Adelaide Gail Sloatman, with whom he remained until his death from prostate cancer in 1993. They had four children: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen. Gail Zappa manages the businesses of her late husband under the name the Zappa Family Trust. Description above from the Wikipedia article Frank Zappa, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.    

Most Famous Work

Faerie Tale Theatre
Average
9

Faerie Tale Theatre

(1982) Attilla
Classic Albums
Average
8

Classic Albums

(1997) Self (archive footage)
Omnibus
Average
7

Omnibus

(1967) Self
Beat-Club
Average
8

Beat-Club

(1965) Self
Take Your Pills
Average
7

Take Your Pills

(2018) Self (archive footage)
Zappa
Average
7

Zappa

(2020) Self (archive footage)
Laurel Canyon
Average
8

Laurel Canyon

(2020) Self (archive footage)
The Velvet Underground
Average
7

The Velvet Underground

(2021) Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2023 guitar & vocals
2022 Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
2021 Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Self
Self - Subject (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
2020 Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
2019 Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2018 Himself (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
2017 Self (archive footage)
2016 Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Self
Self - Subject (archive footage)
2015 Himself
Self (archive footage)
2014 Self (archive footage)
Himself (archive Footage)
Himself (archive footage)
Himself
Self (archive footage)
2013 Himself
2012 Self
2010 Himself
Self (archive footage)
2009 Himself
2008 Self
Self
Self
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
2007 Self (archive footage)
N/A
2006 Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
2005 Self (archive footage)
Himself
Self (archive footage)
2004 Himself
2002 Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
2000 Self (archive footage)
1997 Himself (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Mike Nesmith (archive footage)
1994 Self (archive footage)
1993 Himself
Self
1992 Self
1991 The Pope (voice)
Self
Self
Self
Self
1989 Self
Self (archive footage)
1988 Self
Self
N/A
1987 Self
Self
Self / The Imaginary Director
1985 Self
Self
1984 Attila
N/A
1983 Himself
1982 Attilla
Self
Self
1980 Self
1979 Self
1978 Self
1975 Self - Musical Guest
Self - Host & Musical Guest
1972 Self
Self (archive footage)
1971 Self
Member of Mothers of Invention (uncredited)
Self
1970 Self
1969 Self
1968 The Critic
Self
N/A
1967 Self
Himself
N/A
Self
Self
Self
1966 N/A
Self (uncredited)
1965 Self
Himself
Guitarist (archive footage)
N/A
Year Character Movie/Tv

Crew

Year Role Movie/Tv
2023 Compositor
1994 In Memory Of
Year Role Movie/Tv

Sound

Year Role Movie/Tv
2023 Orchestrator
2020 Music
2016 Music
2015 Music
2014 Music
Music
2013 Music
2012 Music
2008 Music
2002 Music
1993 Music
1992 Music
Conductor
1991 Music
1990 Music
1988 Music
1987 Music
Music
1985 Music
1982 Music
1979 Music
1971 Music
Music Arranger
Music
1969 Music
1965 Original Music Composer
1962 Original Music Composer
Music
Year Role Movie/Tv

Writing

Directing

Production

Editing

Camera

Year Role Movie/Tv
1987 Camera Operator
Year Role Movie/Tv

Art

Year Role Movie/Tv
1971 Props
Year Role Movie/Tv

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