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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
December 21, 1940
Died
December 4, 1993
Place of Birth
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Also Known As
- Zappa
- FZ
- Френк Заппа
- 法蘭克札帕
Frank Zappa
1.2 Popularity
Biography
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.
Known For
0.0
Self (guitar, vocals)
Frank Zappa: Cheaper Than Cheep
2025
7.7
Self - Musical Guest December 11, 1976 (archive footage)
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
2025
0.0
Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention: Live at Whisky a Go Go 1968
2024
6.0
Self - Musician (archive footage)
Cover Your Ears
2023
8.5
Self (archive footage)
Steve Vai - His First 30 Years: The Documentary
2022
0.0
Self (archive footage)
Rock this Town
2022
0.0
Self (archive footage)
Kalvøyafestivalen - 50 år siden første riff
2021
6.8
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Velvet Underground
2021
8.6
Self
Classic Albums: Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention - Freak Out!
2021
0.0
Self - Subject (archive footage)
The Art of Dissent
2021
Credits
Frank Zappa: Cheaper Than Cheep
as Self (guitar, vocals)
2025
0.0
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
as Self - Musical Guest December 11, 1976 (archive footage)
2025
7.7
Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention: Live at Whisky a Go Go 1968
2024
0.0
Cover Your Ears
as Self - Musician (archive footage)
2023
6.0
Steve Vai - His First 30 Years: The Documentary
as Self (archive footage)
2022
8.5
Rock this Town
as Self (archive footage)
2022
0.0
Kalvøyafestivalen - 50 år siden første riff
as Self (archive footage)
2021
0.0
The Velvet Underground
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2021
6.8
Classic Albums: Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention - Freak Out!
as Self
2021
8.6
The Art of Dissent
as Self - Subject (archive footage)
2021
0.0
Larry Flynt for President
as Self (archive footage)
2021
5.2
Zappa
as Self (archive footage)
2020
7.3
Laurel Canyon
as Self (archive footage)
2020
8.0
🎬
Stupor Mundi: Book 3, The Most Dangerous Encounter
as Self (archive footage)
2019
0.0
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice
as Self (archive footage)
2019
7.6
Manson: Music from an Unsound Mind
as Self (archive footage)
2019
6.7
Echo in the Canyon
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2019
6.7
Marian Briozzo
as Himself (archive footage)
2018
0.0
Take Your Pills
as Self (archive footage)
2018
6.5
Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words
as Self (archive footage)
2016
7.3
🎬
Stupor Mundi: Livre 1, Rituel de décapitation du pape
as Self (archive footage)
2016
0.0
🎬
Stupor Mundi: Livre 2, Les Hommes qui mangèrent la montagne
as Self (archive footage)
2016
0.0
🎬
Zapped: Frank Zappa par Frank Zappa
as Self - Subject (archive footage)
2016
9.5
Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention - The Lost Broadcast: The Beat Club '68
as Self
2016
0.0
Frank Zappa & The Mothers: Roxy: The Movie
as Himself
2015
6.8
Feats First: The Life and Music of Lowell George
as Self (archive footage)
2015
8.0
Led Zeppelin Played Here
as Self (archive footage)
2014
8.0
Frank Zappa – Summer '82: When Zappa Came to Sicily
as Himself (archive Footage)
2014
7.8
Made in Japan: The Rise of Deep Purple Mk II
as Himself (archive footage)
2014
7.4
Cheepnis
as Himself
2014
0.0
Super Duper Alice Cooper
as Self (archive footage)
2014
7.1
Frank Zappa: A Token Of His Extreme
as Himself
2013
6.1
From Straight to Bizarre
as Self
2012
3.8
Frank Zappa: The Freak Out List
as Himself
2010
0.0
Hart & Soul - The Hart Family Anthology
as Self (archive footage)
2010
8.0
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention: In the 1960's
as Himself
2009
0.0
Frank Zappa - Live in Paris 1980
as Self
2008
8.0
Frank Zappa: The Torture Never Stops
as Self
2008
5.8
Frank Zappa: The Broadcast Archives
as Self
2008
0.0
The Wrecking Crew
as Self (archive footage)
2008
7.3
Frank Zappa: Music In Review
as Self (archive footage)
2008
0.0
Classic Albums: Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (') Over-Nite Sensation
as Self (archive footage)
2007
6.5
Frank Zappa: A Pioneer of the Future of Music
2007
0.0
Frank Zappa: Roxy, 1973
2007
0.0
Fuck
as Self (archive footage)
2006
6.4
🎬
EAV Rarities
as Self (archive footage)
2006
0.0
Girls and Boys - Sex and British Pop
as Self (archive footage)
2005
0.0
Frank Zappa: A Token of His Extreme
as Himself
2005
7.7
Derailroaded
as Self (archive footage)
2005
7.6
🎬
Frank Zappa - John, Dan And Me
as Himself
2004
6.0
Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s
as Self (archive footage)
2002
0.0
🎬
Frank Zappa: Phase II - The Big Note
as Self (archive footage)
2002
0.0
🎬
Frank Zappa: The Present-Day Composer Refuses To Die
as Self (archive footage)
2000
0.0
The Artist Formerly Known As Captain Beefheart
as Himself (archive footage)
1997
0.0
Classic Albums
as Self (archive footage)
1997
7.7
🎬
Porridge and kerosene
as Self (archive footage)
1997
0.0
Hey, Hey, We're The Monkees
as Mike Nesmith (archive footage)
1997
8.8
🎬
An American Dissident: un tributo a Frank Zappa
as Self (archive footage)
1994
0.0
The Revenge of the Dead Indians
as Himself
1993
0.0
🎬
A Life of Extravaganza - The Genius Frank Zappa
as Self
1993
9.0
The Yellow Shark
as Self
1992
8.0
The Ren & Stimpy Show
as The Pope (voice)
1991
7.6
🎬
Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth
as Self
1991
4.5
Pražákům, těm je hej
as Frank Zappa
1991
8.0
Frank Zappa: Peefeeyatko
as Self
1991
0.0
🎬
Your vote
as Self
1991
0.0
Decade
as Self
1989
7.0
🎬
Služební cesta podporučíka Svěráka
as Self (archive footage)
1989
6.0
Funny
as Self
1988
0.0
The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels
as Self
1988
7.5
Frank Zappa: Live in Barcelona
1988
8.0
Video from Hell
as Self
1987
7.0
Uncle Meat
as Self / The Imaginary Director
1987
5.7
The Amazing Mr. Bickford
as Self
1987
5.7
🎬
Night Flight with Frank Zappa, Porn Wars
as Self
1985
0.0
Frank Zappa: Does Humor Belong in Music?
as Self
1985
7.7
The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers
as Attila
1984
6.5
Miami Vice
as Mario Fuente
1984
7.5
Cocaine Blues
as Himself
1983
0.0
Faerie Tale Theatre
as Attilla
1982
8.1
Frank Zappa: The Dub Room Special!
as Self
1982
5.9
🎬
The Rolling Stones - The First 20 Years
as Self
1982
0.0
🎬
Frank Zappa: New York and Elsewhere
as Self
1980
0.0
Frank Zappa: Baby Snakes
as Self
1979
6.5
Frank Zappa: We Don't Mess Around
as Self
1978
4.5
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Musical Guest
1975
7.0
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Host & Musical Guest
1975
7.0
Frank Zappa: Opopoppa Stockholm, Sweden
1973
0.0
Frank Zappa - Over-Nite Sensation
1973
0.0
Yoko Ono: This Is Not Here
as Self
1972
6.0
Deep Purple: Made In Japan
as Self (archive footage)
1972
10.0
🎬
Frank Zappa filmt 200 Motels
as Self
1971
0.0
200 Motels
as Member of Mothers of Invention (uncredited)
1971
5.2
Frank Zappa, John Lennon & Yoko Ono: At Fillmore East
1971
0.0
Frank Zappa: A Day With Frank
as Self
1971
0.0
Pink Floyd: Amougies Pop Festival
1970
0.0
Amougies (Music Power - European Music Revolution)
as Self
1970
0.0
Burnt Weeny Sandwich
as Self
1969
0.0
Head
as The Critic
1968
6.2
All My Loving
as Self
1968
6.5
You Are What You Eat
1968
3.7
Omnibus
as Self
1967
7.2
🎬
Good Evening — I'm Jonathan King
as Himself
1967
0.0
Mondo Hollywood
1967
5.3
Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution
as Self
1967
0.0
Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution
as Self
1967
0.0
Sex in Today's World
as Self
1967
0.0
The Monkees
1966
6.5
The Big T.N.T. Show
as Self (uncredited)
1965
7.0
Beat-Club
as Self
1965
8.3
🎬
The Male Swagger
as Guitarist (archive footage)
N/A
0.0
Late Night Line-Up
as Himself
N/A
6.5