FZ
Frank Zappa
Actor, Composer, Writer, Director, Producer, Editor, Additional Credits
Born December 21, 1940Died December 4, 1993 (52 years)
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.
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.
Known For
Featured Videos
Frank Zappa Filmography
| 2025 | Downey Wrote That · as Self - Musician |
| 2025 | Nova 78' · as Self |
| 2025 | Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music · as Self - Musical Guest December 11, 1976 |
| 2023 | Cover Your Ears · as Self - Musician (archive Footage) |
| 2022 | Steve Vai - His First 30 Years: The Documentary · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2021 | Kalvøyafestivalen - 50 år siden første riff · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2021 | The Velvet Underground · as Self (archive Footage) (uncredited) |
| 2021 | The Art of Dissent · as Self - Subject (archive Footage) |
| 2021 | Larry Flynt for President · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2020 | |
| 2020 | |
| 2020 | Laurel Canyon (TV Series) · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2019 | Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2019 | Manson: Music from an Unsound Mind · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2018 | Echo in the Canyon · as Self (archive Footage) (uncredited) |
| 2018 | Take Your Pills · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2016 | Uncle Howard · as Self |
| 2016 | Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2015 | Roxy: The Movie · as Himself |
| 2015 | Feats First: The Life & Music of Lowell George · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2014 | Led Zeppelin Played Here · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2014 | Cheepnis · as Himself |
| 2014 | Super Duper Alice Cooper · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2013 | Summer '82: When Zappa Came to Sicily · as Himself (archive Footage) |
| 2013 | A Token of His Extreme · as Himself |
| 2010 | Hart and Soul: The Hart Family Anthology · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2008 | Frank Zappa: The Torture Never Stops · as Self |
| 2008 | The Wrecking Crew! · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2007 | Classic Albums: Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (') Over-Nite Sensation · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2006 | I Love The 70s Volume 2 (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2005 | Fuck · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2005 | Frank Zappa: A Token of His Extreme · as Himself |
| 2005 | Derailroaded · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2002 | Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 1997 | The Artist Formerly Known as Captain Beefheart · as Himself (archive Footage) |
| 1997 | Classic Albums (TV Series) · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 1995 | |
| 1994 | The Revenge of the Dead Indians · as Himself |
| 1992 | The Yellow Shark · as Self |
| 1991 | Peefeeyatko · as Self |
| 1989 | Decade · as Self |
| 1989 | Circus of the Stars #14 · as Self |
| 1989 | The Arsenio Hall Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1988 | |
| 1987 | Biography (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1987 | The Amazing Mister Bickford · as Self |
| 1987 | Uncle Meat · as Self / The Imaginary Director |
| 1985 | Does Humor Belong in Music? · as Self |
| 1985 | Video from Hell · as Self |
| 1984 | The Dub Room Special! · as Self |
| 1983 | Thicke of the Night (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1982 | Late Night With David Letterman (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1979 | Baby Snakes · as Self |
| 1979 | Nightline (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1979 | Dance Fever (TV Series) · as Self - Judge |
| 1977 | All You Need Is Love: The Story of Popular Music (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1975 | Saturday Night Live (TV Series) · as Self - Musical Guest |
| 1974 | Dinah! (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1971 | The Old Grey Whistle Test (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1971 | Frank Zappa · as Self |
| 1968 | All My Loving · as Self |
| 1968 | What's My Line? (1968) (TV Series) · as Self - Mystery Guest |
| 1967 | Omnibus (1967) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1965 | The Big T.N.T. Show · as Self (uncredited) |
| 1965 | Beat Club (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1964 | Late Night Line-Up (TV Series) · as Himself |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1961 | The Mike Douglas Show (TV Series) · as Self - Director |
| 1961 | The New Steve Allen Show (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1952 | Today (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1999 | The Male Swagger · as Guitarist (archive Footage) |
| 1997 | Hey, Hey We're the Monkees · as Mike Nesmith (episode "monkees Blow Their Mind") |
| 1997 | Hey, Hey, We're The Monkees · as Mike Nesmith (archive Footage) |
| 1991 | The Ren & Stimpy Show (TV Series) · as The Pope (voice) |
| 1984 | Miami Vice (TV Series) · as Mario Fuente |
| 1982 | Faerie Tale Theatre (TV Series) · as Attilla |
| 1971 | 200 Motels · as Member Of Mothers Of Invention (uncredited) |
| 1968 | Head · as The Critic |
| 1968 | |
| 1967 | |
| 1965 | The Monkees (TV Series) |
| 2020 | |
| 2015 | |
| 2014 | |
| 2013 | |
| 2013 | |
| 2008 | |
| 1994 | Duckman (TV Series) |
| 1991 | |
| 1988 | |
| 1987 | |
| 1985 | |
| 1985 | |
| 1984 | |
| 1979 | |
| 1971 | |
| 1971 |
| 2015 | |
| 1988 | |
| 1987 | |
| 1987 | |
| 1985 | |
| 1985 | |
| 1984 | |
| 1979 | |
| 1974 | |
| 1971 | 200 Motels · as Screenplay |
| 2014 | |
| 2013 | |
| 1979 |
| 1992 | The Yellow Shark · as Conductor |
| 1987 | Uncle Meat · as Composer |
| 1965 | Run Home, Slow · as Original Music Composer |
| 1962 | The World's Greatest Sinner · as Original Music Composer |