What person could be more multitalented in the music business than Frank Zappa? No one comes to mind at the moment to me. To be even niftier than dear old Frank, you would have to be more than just a composer, guitarist, singer, and film director. Frank Zappa spent 33 years in the music business, and cramming out all sorts of albums from so many different types of genres. To name a few he worked around are : big band, blues, contemporary classical, electronic music, funk, rock, jazz, pop, reggae, rock, and was quite gifted when dealing with rock operas.
Frank Zappa first zapped into the music scene in 1964, when joining the Soul Giants which eventually morphed into The Mothers (which eventually turned into The Mothers of Invention). They played songs written by Frank, and became pretty well known in the LA underground culture. So well known that they got the attention of Bob Dylan's producer, Tom Wilson. Soon after they signed onto Verve Records and released Freak Out! in 1966, Absolutely Free in 1967, and We're Only in It for the Money and Cruising with Ruben & the Jets both in 1968. As you can tell, they came out with albums like a wildfire. They had 11 more albums before the band broke up. In the 70's, Zappa started to really do his "own thing". The best rated albums from All Music Guide are The Grand Wazoo and Over-Nite Sensation. The Grand Wazoo was jazz influenced while Over-Nite Sensation was more based around progressive rock. Turning towards the 80's, he released the intrumental album, Jazz From Hell in 1986, and was a critically acclaimed album. He was also famous for his capability to work for hours. At times he could go for 20 hours a day. Now that is dedication.
Frank Vincent Zappa was born on December 21st , 1940 to Francis and Rose Marie Zappa in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1951, due to Frank's asthma, the Zappas relocated to Monteray, California then Ponoma and then lastly to San Diego. In the summer of 1953 Frank started the drums but then eventually decided that he wanted to play the guitar in 1957. After graduating high school Zappa moved to Los Angeles and stayed there. He then joined the local R&B band the Soul Giants in 1964. After ten years with The Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa flied solo, producing and self-writing all of his albums. To count all of his albums released, the sum would be well over 60, and to compare, the Beatles only had 12 albums so that is a huge number! Throughout the years Zappa kept releasing all his albums at a fast pace until his death. Frank Vincent Zappa died of prostate cancer on December 4th 1993.
For a zesty life, Frank Zappa would be sure to get awards for his contribution to the arts. He left such an impact, that when you think back to classic rock, one of first names that pop into my head is Frank Zappa. In 1986 Zappa earned his very first Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance with Jazz From Hell. Since his music has spread all over the world with many fans there are many little contributions to him. In 1995, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the same year a cast of himself was placed Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. And in Germany (since 1990), there is an annual festival celebrating the music of Zappa, known as "Zappanale". His other Grammy-like award was earned in 1997 for a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and he totally deserved that.