Biography
Frank Vincent Zappa ( 1940-1993) was an American musician and composer, known as much for his music as for his provocative political satire and criticism. He was born on December 21, 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland and was raised in Lancaster, California. He was the eldest son of 4 brothers, his father was a chemical engineer of Greek-Arab origin, his mother had Italian and French roots.
He was a self-taught musician and started at a young age by creating his first band in high school. In addition to music, he demonstrated special abilities in the technology of musical instruments and recording while he was also involved in directing, creating videos that are considered to be the forerunners of today's rock video clips. Throughout his career, he satirized the futile human pursuit of utopian happiness based on consumer goods, sex, and sports, while he also sharply criticized the hippie movement.
In 1963 he wrote the score for the western Run Home Slow and used the proceeds to build a studio in California. In 1964 he joined the Soul Giants and then the Mothers – later renamed The Mothers of Invention. In 1965 he was charged with "conspiracy to commit pornography" over a recording of moaning and creaking bed sounds. He was sentenced to six months in prison and eventually spent ten days behind bars. In 1966 he recorded the album Freak Out, an unusual mix of parodies of love songs and political commentary. The term "freak out" that is still used today, as a motivation to escape from social norms, comes from the title of that record.
In 1967 he released the record "Absolutely Free" which satirizes "normal" America while his band gradually became more of a medium for the transfer and promotion of his art. In Greenwich Village, New York, the group, for six months, gave innovative rock theater performances with many improvisations. In the early 1980s, Zappa conducts concerts with works by his favorite composer Varese, while he has his own record company, concert production company, production and promotion company for his videos. An advocate of freedom of expression, he testified before a senate committee set up to deal with the issue of lyrics "with sexual or satanic content". During his career he released 60 albums, marrying in his music the influences of avant-garde lyricists with American folk music (rock, jazz, rhythm & blues), enriching it with lyrics of sharp social satire.
Zappa was married twice and with his second wife he had four children, two sons and two daughters. In 1992 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, from which he died a year later, on December 4, 1993.