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.
| 2025 | Frank Zappa: Cheaper Than Cheep as Self (guitar, vocals) |
| 2024 | Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention: Live at Whisky a Go Go 1968 |
| 2023 | Cover Your Ears as Self - Musician (archive footage) |
| 2022 | Steve Vai - His First 30 Years: The Documentary as Self (archive footage) |
| 2022 | Rock this Town as Self (archive footage) |
| 2021 | Kalvøyafestivalen - 50 år siden første riff as Self (archive footage) |
| 2021 | The Velvet Underground as Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 2021 | Classic Albums: Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention - Freak Out! as Self |
| 2021 | The Art of Dissent as Self - Subject (archive footage) |
| 2021 | Larry Flynt for President as Self (archive footage) |
| 2020 | Zappa as Self (archive footage) |
| 2019 | Stupor Mundi: Livre 3, La plus dangereuse rencontre as Self (archive footage) |
| 2019 | Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice as Self (archive footage) |
| 2019 | Manson: Music From an Unsound Mind as Self (archive footage) |
| 2019 | Echo in the Canyon as Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 2018 | Cosmic Debris as Himself (archive footage) |
| 2018 | Take Your Pills as Self (archive footage) |
| 2016 | Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words as Self (archive footage) |
| 2016 | Stupor Mundi: Livre 1, Rituel de décapitation du pape as Self (archive footage) |
| 2016 | Stupor Mundi: Livre 2, Les Hommes qui mangèrent la montagne as Self (archive footage) |
| 2016 | Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention - The Lost Broadcast: The Beat Club '68 as Self |
| 2016 | Zapped: Frank Zappa par Frank Zappa as Self - Subject (archive footage) |
| 2015 | Frank Zappa & The Mothers: Roxy: The Movie as Himself |
| 2015 | Feats First: The Life and Music of Lowell George as Self (archive footage) |
| 2014 | Led Zeppelin Played Here as Self (archive footage) |
| 2014 | Frank Zappa - Summer '82 : When Zappa Came to Sicily as Himself (archive Footage) |
| 2014 | Made in Japan: The Rise of Deep Purple Mk II as Himself (archive footage) |
| 2014 | Cheepnis as Himself |
| 2014 | Super Duper Alice Cooper as Self (archive footage) |
| 2013 | Frank Zappa: A Token Of His Extreme as Himself |
| 2012 | From Straight to Bizarre as Self |
| 2010 | Frank Zappa: The Freak Out List as Himself |
| 2010 | Hart & Soul - The Hart Family Anthology as Self (archive footage) |
| 2009 | Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention: In the 1960's as Himself |
| 2008 | Frank Zappa - Live in Paris 1980 as Self |
| 2008 | Frank Zappa: The Torture Never Stops as Self |
| 2008 | Frank Zappa: The Broadcast Archives as Self |
| 2008 | The Wrecking Crew as Self (archive footage) |
| 2008 | Frank Zappa: Music In Review as Self (archive footage) |
| 2007 | Classic Albums: Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (') Over-Nite Sensation as Self (archive footage) |
| 2007 | Frank Zappa: A Pioneer of the Future of Music |
| 2007 | Frank Zappa: Roxy, 1973 |
| 2006 | Fuck as Self (archive footage) |
| 2006 | EAV Rarities as Self (archive footage) |
| 2005 | Frank Zappa: A Token of His Extreme as Himself |
| 2005 | Derailroaded as Self (archive footage) |
| 2004 | Frank Zappa - John, Dan And Me as Himself |
| 2002 | Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s as Self (archive footage) |
| 2002 | Frank Zappa: Phase II - The Big Note as Self (archive footage) |
| 2000 | Frank Zappa: The Present-Day Composer Refuses To Die as Self (archive footage) |
| 1997 | The Artist Formerly Known As Captain Beefheart as Himself (archive footage) |
| 1997 | Välling och fotogen as Self (archive footage) |
| 1997 | Hey, Hey, We're The Monkees as Mike Nesmith (archive footage) |
| 1994 | An American Dissident: un tributo a Frank Zappa as Self (archive footage) |
| 1993 | Ein Leben als Extravaganza - Das Genie Frank Zappa as Self |
| 1993 | The Revenge of the Dead Indians as Himself |
| 1992 | The Yellow Shark as Self |
| 1991 | Pražákům, těm je hej as Frank Zappa |
| 1991 | Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth as Self |
| 1991 | Frank Zappa: Peefeeyatko as Self |
| 1991 | Your vote as Self |
| 1989 | Decade as Self |
| 1989 | Služební cesta podporučíka Svěráka as Self (archive footage) |
| 1988 | Funny as Self |
| 1988 | Frank Zappa: Live in Barcelona |
| 1988 | The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels as Self |
| 1987 | Video from Hell as Self |
| 1987 | The Amazing Mr. Bickford as Self |
| 1987 | Uncle Meat as Self / The Imaginary Director |
| 1985 | Night Flight with Frank Zappa, Porn Wars as Self |
| 1985 | Frank Zappa: Does Humor Belong in Music? as Self |
| 1984 | The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers as Attila |
| 1983 | Cocaine Blues as Himself |
| 1982 | Frank Zappa: The Dub Room Special! as Self |
| 1982 | The Rolling Stones - Die ersten 20 Jahre as Self |
| 1980 | Frank Zappa: New York and Elsewhere as Self |
| 1979 | Baby Snakes as Self |
| 1978 | Frank Zappa: We Don't Mess Around as Self |
| 1973 | Frank Zappa: Opopoppa Stockholm, Sweden |
| 1973 | Frank Zappa - Over-Nite Sensation |
| 1972 | Yoko Ono: This Is Not Here as Self |
| 1972 | Deep Purple: Made In Japan as Self (archive footage) |
| 1971 | Frank Zappa filmt 200 Motels as Self |
| 1971 | 200 Motels as Member of Mothers of Invention (uncredited) |
| 1971 | Frank Zappa, John Lennon & Yoko Ono: At Fillmore East |
| 1971 | Frank Zappa as Self |
| 1970 | Amougies (Music Power - European Music Revolution) as Self |
| 1970 | Pink Floyd: Amougies Pop Festival |
| 1969 | Burnt Weeny Sandwich as Self |
| 1968 | Head as The Critic |
| 1968 | All My Loving as Self |
| 1968 | You Are What You Eat |
| 1967 | Mondo Hollywood |
| 1967 | Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution as Self |
| 1967 | Sex in Today's World as Self |
| 1965 | The Big T.N.T. Show as Self (uncredited) |
| The Male Swagger as Guitarist (archive footage) |
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