AI overview
Frank Zappa was an American musician and composer who lived from 1940 to 1993 and became known for his innovative and often unconventional approach to rock music. His work matters because he pushed the boundaries of what popular music could be, blending rock with classical, jazz, and satirical elements while maintaining a distinctive artistic vision throughout his career.
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Person · Open Library
- Born
- 21 December 1940
- Died
- 4 December 1993
- Works
- 15
Top works
- ha-Sefer ha-amiti shel Franḳ Zapah
- The real Frank Zappa book
- Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (')
- La verdadera historia de Frank Zappa
- Frank Zappa - over-Nite Sensation
via Open Library + Wikidata
Listeners · Last.fm
- Listeners
- 1,343,702
- Total plays
- 67,304,483
Tags
Progressive rockexperimentaljazzrockclassic rock
Frank Vincent Zappa (born December 21, 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States – December 4, 1993 in Los Angeles, California, United States) was an American composer, guitarist, singer, bandleader and producer. He was one of the most prolific musicians of his time, releasing over fifty albums of original material spanning over a thirty-five year career. Zappa's earliest influences were 1950s pop and rock (such as doo-wop and rhythm and blues), and 20th-century classical composers including I
Article
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American composer, songwriter, guitarist, conductor, actor, satirist, filmmaker, and activist. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed rock, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestral and musique concrète works; he additionally produced nearly all the 60-plus albums he released with his band the Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. His discography is characterized by nonconformity, improvisation, sonic experimentation, musical virtuosity and satire of American culture. Zappa also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. He is considered one of the most innovative and stylistically diverse musicians of his generation.
As a mostly self-taught composer and performer, Zappa had diverse musical influences that led him to create music that was sometimes difficult to categorize. While in his teens, he acquired a taste for 20th-century classical modernism, African-American rhythm and blues, and doo-wop music. He began writing classical music in high school, while simultaneously playing drums in rhythm-and-blues bands, later switching to electric guitar. His debut studio album with the Mothers of Invention, Freak Out! (1966), combined satirical but seemingly conventional rock-and-roll songs with extended sound collages. He continued this eclectic and experimental approach throughout his career.
Gallery (12)
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1940 births1993 deaths20th-century American classical composers20th-century American guitarists20th-century American jazz composers20th-century American male actors20th-century American male composers20th-century American male singers20th-century American singer-songwritersAdvocates of unschooling and homeschoolingAmerican anti-communists