FRANK ZAPPA: Biography, Guitars, and Pedalboard

Posted by Arif Hidayat on March 19th, 2021

Frank Zappa was a prolific American songwriter, singer, and guitarist of Italian descent, who developed his musical career through a wide range of musical genres, and experimental music. Always moving away from the politically correct, being a great defender of freedom of expression and the abolition of censorship.

Frank Zappa Biography

Francis Vincent Zappa was born in 1940 in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. But at the age of 12, he moved with his family to the state of California, becoming fond of listening to Rhythm and Blues, is interested at that time particularly in the sounds of drums and percussion.

Frank would show great interest in avant-garde music such as that of Igor Stravinsky and Anton Webern, and in the percussion compositions of Edgard Varèse. The developer of what is known as concrete music created by the French composer Pierre Schaeffer.

Zappa began to play drums in a local band (The Blackouts), but soon he began to take an interest in the guitar, being among his first influences Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Howlin 'Wolf, and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.

Frank began his studies at State University, where he met Kathryn J. "Kay" Sherman. Leaving his studies at the university a few months later, to move with Kay to the city of Ontario. Marrying the couple in the late 1960s, although the relationship would end up breaking up in 1964.

Zappa wanted to earn a living as a musician and composer, managing to record his first compositions like a professional musician in the early 1960s. Two soundtracks for low-cost movies.

Frank Zappa creates Estudio Z

Thanks to the income he earned from his film compositions, Zappa took over a small recording studio in 1964 that he would call Studio Z.

Starting to work more than twelve hours a day in the studio, experimenting with new recording techniques. Maintaining this level of work for practically the entirety of his career.

Problems with the Police

Although the police had suspicions that Zappa was engaging in pornography. And in 1965 an undercover agent from the Vice department offered Frank $ 100 to produce an erotic audiotape, supposedly for a bachelor party.

Zappa agreed to record the tape in collaboration with a friend. Being Frank arrested after delivering the tape, the police proceeded to search the recording studio, requisitioning all the work done by the composer.

Zappa had to defend himself against a charge of "conspiracy to produce pornography", but the charge was reduced, being sentenced to six months in jail for a misdemeanor, although he would ultimately only serve ten days.

Upon leaving prison, Zappa learns that the authorities were going to demolish the studio to widen the street. Getting most of his possessions back before the studio was demolished.

But Frank was only able to recover part of his recordings since they only returned 30 hours of recording of the 80 hours that were seized from them. Keeping the police with the tapes that they could consider that they could suggest some obscene character.

These events left a permanent personal mark on him. Being key in his motivation as a defender of freedom of expression and against censorship.
In the same year, 1965, Zappa received a proposal from Ray Collins to join a local R&B band called The Soul Giants as a guitarist. Assuming Zappa almost from the beginning the leadership of the group.

Definitively renaming the band as The Mothers of Invention. Recording in 1966 the double album «Freak Out!«. Establishing Zappa immediately as a radically new artist on the rock music scene. And with non-conformist lyrics, very critical of the hypocrisy of American society, and against authoritarianism.

As Zappa, himself would comment: "We are satyrs, and we are here to satirize everything."
The same year, 1966, Frank met Adelaide, the couple marrying the following year, and with whom he had four children. Living together until the guitarist's death.

In 1968 Zappa released his first solo album "Lumpy Gravy", while the band The Mothers of Invention began to have bad economic times.

In 1969 the band included nine members, Zappa covering all economic expenses, ending Frank by dissolving the group at the end of 1969, continuing with his solo career.

But in the late 1970s, Zappa would form a new version of his old band reducing the name to simply The Mothers.

At the end of 1971 during a performance at the Casino de Montreux in Switzerland, The Mothers' equipment was destroyed by a flare fired by a member of the public that completely set the casino on fire, an event that would end up embodied in the song "Smoke on the Water »From Deep Purple.

Having to use the band's rented equipment to be able to perform at the Rainbow Theater in London, an event occurred in this performance that would have serious consequences for Zappa.

Brutal Assault on Frank Zappa

A concertgoer pushes Zappa off the stage, knocking him into the orchestra pit. Frank suffered serious fractures, head trauma, and back, leg, and neck injuries.

Taking Zappa away from the stage for more than half a year, leaving him with a slightly shorter leg due to fractures and chronic back pain.

But Frank continued his career stronger than ever, making the 1970s his best period with countless publications, ending the decade with his best-selling album ("Sheik Yerbouti"), and the considered masterpiece "Joe's Garage «. A triple album in rock opera format that deals with American society, political satire, and freedom of expression, including one of Zappa's most famous instrumental guitar tracks ("Watermelon in Easter Hay").

Joining his band before the end of the decade was a young but virtuous and promising guitarist: Steve Vai. Remaining in the Zappa grouping until 1983.

Getting Zappa his first Grammy in 1987 as "best rock instrumental performance", for the album "Jazz from Hell" released in 1986.

Zappa Dies from Cancer

But in 1990 he was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer, which he had been developing for 10 years, the disease is considered inoperable.

In spite of everything, Zappa would continue working, managing to finish his last publication ("Civilization, Phaze III") before his death at the end of 1993. Finally, he managed to produce 60 radical, innovative, and irreverent albums. In addition to working as a film and video clip director, and as an album cover designer.