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.
97 movies · 13 shows
Nova '78
2025·0.0
Frank Zappa: Cheaper Than Cheep
2025·0.0
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
2025·7.8
Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention: Live at Whisky a Go Go 1968
2024·0.0
Cover Your Ears
2023·6.0
Steve Vai - His First 30 Years: The Documentary
2022·8.5
Rock this Town
2022·0.0
Kalvøyafestivalen - 50 år siden første riff
2021·0.0
The Velvet Underground
2021·6.8
Classic Albums: Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention - Freak Out!
2021·8.6
The Art of Dissent
2021·0.0
Larry Flynt for President
2021·5.2
Zappa
2020·7.3
Stupor Mundi: Book 3, The Most Dangerous Encounter
2019·0.0
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice
2019·7.6
Manson: Music from an Unsound Mind
2019·6.7
Echo in the Canyon
2019·6.8
Marian Briozzo
2018·0.0
Take Your Pills
2018·6.5
Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words
2016·7.4
Stupor Mundi: Livre 1, Rituel de décapitation du pape
2016·0.0
Stupor Mundi: Livre 2, Les Hommes qui mangèrent la montagne
2016·0.0
Zapped: Frank Zappa par Frank Zappa
2016·9.5
Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention - The Lost Broadcast: The Beat Club '68
2016·0.0
Frank Zappa & The Mothers: Roxy: The Movie
2015·6.8
Feats First: The Life and Music of Lowell George
2015·8.0
Led Zeppelin Played Here
2014·8.0
Frank Zappa – Summer '82: When Zappa Came to Sicily
2014·7.8
Made in Japan: The Rise of Deep Purple Mk II
2014·7.4
Cheepnis
2014·0.0
Super Duper Alice Cooper
2014·7.1
Frank Zappa: A Token Of His Extreme
2013·6.1
From Straight to Bizarre
2012·3.8
Frank Zappa: The Freak Out List
2010·0.0
Hart & Soul - The Hart Family Anthology
2010·8.0
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention: In the 1960's
2009·0.0
Frank Zappa - Live in Paris 1980
2008·8.0
An Evening with Frank Zappa During Which... The Torture Never Stops
2008·5.8
Frank Zappa: The Broadcast Archives
2008·0.0
The Wrecking Crew
2008·7.3
Frank Zappa: Music In Review
2008·0.0
Classic Albums: Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (') Over-Nite Sensation
2007·6.5
Frank Zappa: A Pioneer of the Future of Music
2007·0.0
Frank Zappa: Roxy, 1973
2007·0.0
Fuck
2006·6.4
EAV Rarities
2006·0.0
Frank Zappa: A Token of His Extreme
2005·7.7
Derailroaded
2005·7.5
Frank Zappa - John, Dan And Me
2004·6.0
Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s
2002·10.0
Frank Zappa: Phase II - The Big Note
2002·7.0
Frank Zappa: The Present-Day Composer Refuses To Die
2000·0.0
The Artist Formerly Known As Captain Beefheart
1997·0.0
Porridge and kerosene
1997·0.0
Hey, Hey, We're The Monkees
1997·8.4
An American Dissident: un tributo a Frank Zappa
1994·0.0
A Life of Extravaganza - The Genius Frank Zappa
1993·9.0
The Revenge of the Dead Indians
1993·7.0
The Yellow Shark
1992·8.0
Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth
1991·4.5
Pražákům, těm je hej
1991·7.5
Frank Zappa: Peefeeyatko
1991·8.0
Your vote
1991·0.0
Decade
1989·8.5
Služební cesta podporučíka Svěráka
1989·6.0
Funny
1988·8.0
The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels
1988·7.3
Frank Zappa: Live in Barcelona
1988·8.0
Video from Hell
1987·7.3
The Amazing Mr. Bickford
1987·5.8
Uncle Meat
1987·6.3
Night Flight with Frank Zappa, Porn Wars
1985·0.0
Frank Zappa: Does Humor Belong in Music?
1985·8.1
The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers
1984·6.5
Cocaine Blues
1983·7.0
Frank Zappa: The Dub Room Special!
1982·6.4
The Rolling Stones - The First 20 Years
1982·0.0
Frank Zappa: New York and Elsewhere
1980·0.0
Baby Snakes
1979·6.6
Frank Zappa: We Don't Mess Around
1978·4.5
Frank Zappa: Opopoppa Stockholm, Sweden
1973·0.0
Yoko Ono: This Is Not Here
1972·6.0
Deep Purple: Made In Japan
1972·10.0
The Making of 200 Motels
1971·0.0
200 Motels
1971·5.2
Frank Zappa, John Lennon & Yoko Ono: At Fillmore East
1971·0.0
Frank Zappa
1971·0.0
Amougies (Music Power - European Music Revolution)
1970·7.0
Pink Floyd: Amougies Pop Festival
1970·0.0
Burnt Weeny Sandwich
1969·0.0
Head
1968·6.2
All My Loving
1968·6.5
You Are What You Eat
1968·4.4
Mondo Hollywood
1967·6.7
Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution
1967·0.0
Sex in Today's World
1967·9.0
The Big T.N.T. Show
1965·8.5